Indenture
by jessara40k
Summary: Cetra Restoration AU, the story of how Elena ended up a concubine in Rowan's harem, and what happened after she was given to Cloud. Includes slavery, issues of consent, bondage, ff and mf
1. Chapter 1

"Elena, it's your birthday today isn't it?" She wanted to flinch at Wilhelmina's innocent question over dinner and from Lucy's expression _she'd_ been dreading this question all day too.

"Yes, sweet sixteen. I can get a job now." If she could find one. Or she could sign consent for Lucy to sell her into indenture slavery.

"Then why didn't we have a party for you? Or a cake? And why didn't you get any presents?" Lucy looked guilty at their sister's innocent question, but Elena _knew_ what their situation was already.

"Adults don't need those things Mina, and I did get presents, just not the sort you can see. You promised to clear the table and do the washing up for me tonight, remember? That's a sort of present." Elena smiled, putting the best face on it that she could; even though she _did_ wish Lucy had been able to get her something she knew the state of their finances and she wanted to protect Wilhelmina from that knowledge for as long as she could.

"Is it Elena?" Wilhelmina looked at Elena wide-eyed and a little anxious and she looked at Lucy too. "That's really a sort of present Lucy?"

"Yes Mina, it's a sort of present." Elena didn't like the forced cheer in her sister's voice, but Wilhelmina didn't seem to realise it was an act. "The sort adults like because it shows that you're willing to put time and effort into your gift, not just money."

"Oh, right." Wilhelmina didn't say anything else for the rest of the meal, and when they'd finished Lucy led Elena into the living room while their sister was busy clearing the table and washing up.

"I'm sorry I couldn't afford to get you any sort of gifts, but..."

"The best terms you could get for paying off Mom's hospital costs and funeral expenses doesn't leave you with enough for anything but necessities, I know." Lucy bit her lip and glanced away unhappily; Elena knew that her sister had wanted to keep her safe, to make sure that she wouldn't have to worry about money the way Lucy had after their father had died, but it wasn't going to happen.

"Do you have any word on a job yet?" Elena wished she could say yes, tell her sister that she could help pay the bills, that she could give Lucy the assistance that would ease her fear in a normal way, but she couldn't.

"No, nothing that would even cover the grocery bill, nothing respectable anyway. But...I had another idea."

"Another idea?" Lucy looked directly at Elena then, taking hold of her wrists in a commanding grip. "Elena, if you can't find anything legitimate we'll find another way for you to help. Take whatever job would pay best, and try to get extra qualifications, if you can without paying too much. I don't want you to do anything you're not comfortable with."

"You think...no, I wasn't talking about accepting one of _those_ offers." Rich men almost never used whores anyway and Elena refused to sell herself _that_ way.

"What then? I...don't want you to get into my line of work, but...Hayll Security does have an opening for an admin assistant. I can ask if Dirk's willing to give you a try." It would probably pay well enough that Lucy wouldn't have to worry about the grocery bills at least, but Elena knew the problem with Lucy's job; while her work was fairly well paid, at least in comparison to the sort of job Elena could get, it was incredibly risky, and if she was hurt...they'd lose the house more likely than not. Elena took a deep breath, steadying herself for the request she was about to make.

"I want you to sell me into indenture slavery." Lucy's hands tightened on Elena's wrists, and she resisted the urge to pull away, knowing that would only make it worse, that her sister would automatically grip tighter.

"What? I can't!" Lucy sounded horrified, and Elena knew what she was thinking, but she'd done research on this, enough to know what she'd be letting herself in for. "_Why_ would you ask me to do something like that?"

"Because it's the best option." Lucy's grip loosened slowly as Elena talked. "If I sign consent for you to sell me then we can specify what sort of duties I can be trained for and given. A twenty year clerical/admin indenture, with the option for accounting training would let you pay off either the mortgage or Mom's hospital costs and funeral expenses. I'll come out of it with a _lot_ of experience, and guaranteed good references, and maybe I'll get additional IT training as well. It's usually Cetra who own slaves, and that might give me some sort of connections I can use to help you or Mina." And if she was lucky and saved whatever allowance her owners gave her, if they gave her one, or her owner at the time kept her after her indenture ran out she'd have money as well to set herself up if she couldn't come back to her family.

"Elena...I took that apprenticeship after Dad died so you wouldn't have to do something like this, so that you and Mina would have a chance at a better life."

"And I'm doing this so that Mina can have a better life. She wants to be a doctor; at least at the moment she does, and she's smart enough to do it too. I know human doctors don't command the sort of salaries or respect Cetra do, but it's a lot better than most of the jobs around here. And she won't get to become a doctor if we don't find a way out from under our debt. How long will it take you to pay off the mortgage and the rest of our debt if I don't do this? And if we can get rid of enough of our debt you'll be able to support her through med school, or law school if she decides on that instead."

"Elena..." She could see that Lucy was really upset by her suggestion, and her sister _hadn't_ been thinking about this for a while the way Elena had. "I've heard that Cetra and rich men think they've got the right to fuck any slave they own."

"Technically yes they do; but generally they don't bother with office staff. And I'm not that pretty." Elena forced herself to shrug; rape was a risk for _any_ woman, it was just that slaves were more vulnerable, but among slaves it was household slaves who were most at risk. "Please Lucy, just promise me that you'll seriously consider it. I've got some work lined up for the next month, but it really doesn't pay that well and it's just part time. After that I want you to either agree, or give me better reasons _not_ to do this."

"I'll ask Dirk if he'll give you a chance, and if that doesn't pan out..."

"Thank you Lucy." Elena gave her sister an impulsive hug and kiss before she left the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Since Dirk had already promised the job Lucy'd suggested as an alternative to another woman Elena managed to persuade her around to agreeing to sell her into indenture slavery. She didn't want children anyway, so it wouldn't _matter_ that she was unlikely to have the chance to get into a long term relationship until she was in her late thirties.

"Lucy and Elena Kayle I take it? I'm Tobias Dusk." The man, no, the uncaste Cetra held his hand out for Lucy to shake first, then repeated the gesture for Elena.

"Yes, I'm Lucy, and this is Elena."

"If you'll come with me then." He focused his attention on Elena as he led them both out of the reception. "Elena, I wanted a chance to convince you to change your plans. The preliminary contract we drew up at your sister's request satisfies her specifications, but I think you'd make a good concubine." She shook her head, but more in disbelief than in outright refusal and he seemed to sense that as they turned into an office. "Please, both of you, take a seat."

They followed his example, sitting in the comfortable seats taking up a bit over half the office, and Elena watched him suspiciously. She _knew_ she wasn't beautiful enough to be a concubine, and she _certainly_ didn't follow fashion or know how to do make-up the way concubines had to.

"I don't want my sister abused; that's why we set the contract terms up like that, so she'd be as safe as a slave can be from rape." Elena smiled at Lucy, and touched her hand for attention.

"Let me handle this, please. It's my body, so I should be the one to make the decision, right?"

"Yes, but...you said you'd be _safe_ this way."

"I know." She turned her attention to Tobias. "Why do you think I could _possibly_ be a concubine? I'm not beautiful enough for that; I'll admit I'm pretty, but concubines have to be beautiful. And why would I _want_ to be a concubine and have to let my owner fuck me when I've done everything I can _not_ to be in that position with the contract we suggested?"

"Two things: first, you aren't more than pretty _now_, but we can teach you how to turn that into beauty; and secondly, what makes you think being a concubine is just about sex? I know that's what draws the most attention, but it's not the only purpose of a harem; not even the most important aspect." He looked oddly earnest as he explained that and Elena wondered just what his job was, or perhaps what sort of history he had. Considering his obvious age he must have been at least thirty when the Cetra went into that slumber thing waiting for the Restoration.

"If it's more than just sex that makes me even _less_ qualified. And like I said, I don't want to have to have sex with someone just because he buys me."

"We don't sell concubines or bed slaves who are under eighteen, so you'd get at least two years training in the skills needed, in how to make a high noble feel relaxed and how to make yourself look good. Then, your sister would be paid three times as much if you accepted a concubinage indenture as for your current contract, _and_ indenture concubines are freed as soon as they're sold back to us after the age of thirty." That made Elena blink, and pause to consider the suggestion seriously.

"Elena, you don't need to do this for our sake. We'll get enough from the contract we researched." Enough to pay off their mom's hospital and funeral costs _and_ reduce the mortgage to a point where Lucy could afford to save for Wilhelmina's further education as well as pay for a better type of insurance than Hayll Security provided. Lucy had asked about a fifteen year contract as well, but that wouldn't have paid off the hospital and funeral costs, let alone left anything for the mortgage. _This_ contract would pay off all their debts and give Lucy enough money to pay for Wilhelmina's first year of further education - at least Elena _thought_ it would. If she was braver, less selfish, Elena would be ready to agree now; she wouldn't listen to Lucy's objections. But she wasn't that brave or selfless, and the idea of spreading her legs for some stranger was abhorrent. And then there was the practical aspect.

"The contract I selected would let me leave my indenture with marketable skills and experience. What would I have at the end of this indenture?" Tobias laughed at that, surprising her, and possibly himself as well.

"Most concubines learn a craft, as a hobby, and some of the skills a concubine learns are marketable anyway; the majority of professional make-up artists or personal shoppers for instance were concubines at one point. So are a lot of the mid-list artists and craftspeople; the ones who do commissions for portraits, or provide tapestries or embroidery." That sounded useful, except that Elena doubted she had the creative spark needed to do well with those sorts of jobs.

"And concubines, indenture concubines anyway, are guaranteed to receive an allowance, and their owner is required to pay the same amount into the accounts we hold for indenture concubines. We don't pay interest, and you won't have access to the account until your indenture ends, unless you find yourself in a situation where you'll spend the rest of your life as a concubine, or rather you don't have access to the money your owner pays into the account until then. You'll have access to any other money you pay in yourself. Also, any jewellery your owner gives you will belong to _you_, including your collar and cuffs, and it will be your decision whether or not to have us sell it for you. We take a ten percent commission if we sell your jewellery on your behalf though." That sounded reasonable enough; Elena had a feeling that it was about the same sort of commission most professionals would charge for doing that sort of thing.

"I still don't like the idea of being sold specifically for sex." And no matter _how_ Tobias prettied it up that was still what he was asking her to agree to. "And...I'd be trapped if my owner turned out to be abusive."

"You'd be trapped anyway. _All_ slaves can be used sexually, it's just fairly uncommon with slaves bought for business purposes, which is how we'd be marketing you under the contract you've discussed. And concubines have a degree of protection that other types of slaves don't. All slaves are insured, but concubines receive half the payout on being freed, whereas other types only receive a quarter. And concubines are the only type of slave that are paid compensation for being scarred or crippled if their owner does it deliberately." She hadn't realised that and Elena looked at her sister with a frown, thinking of the implications.

"All right. Lucy, I want at least a tenth of the money to go into a five-year fixed account, to pay for Mina's further education."

"If you're sure that's what you want."

"I was thinking of concubines as pretty much whores, but...Cetra don't see them that way, do they?"

"No, not really. And I'm glad I could change your mind." Tobias visibly hesitated before leaning to whisper in Elena's ear. "And I was a concubine, a first concubine, until my master died fighting Jenova."


	3. Chapter 3

Elena had hidden her relief when Daris was the first to buy her; even though she expected a healer caste to be gentler than a warrior caste she'd been taught not to let her owner see how she truly felt about _anything_. Apparently not all concubines managed to master that technique, and Elena couldn't manage to pretend an emotion she didn't feel, but she could hide her emotions unless they'd please her master, and Tobias had implied that was impressive. From the sympathy on the faces of three of the four women already in his harem when he told them to prepare her for him that evening her relief had been misplaced anyway.

"Elena, we need to start preparing you now." Elena stood at Sarah's call and walked out to meet her in the main room.

"Where do you want to start Sarah?" Daris' first concubine had a contented air about her, something the others didn't seem to share.

"Wash yourself thoroughly. But make it quick." She pointed to a door with her chin and Elena obediently went through, using one of the showers and washing her hair as well as her body, drying herself off quickly and efficiently. If she had the time Elena might have enjoyed relaxing in the hot tub, but Tobias had trained her to get herself washed and out of the shower within fifteen minutes when necessary, and it was made easier by the total lack of body hair that came from the waxing her new master had requested before he took her home.

"Sit down. Wanda, dry her hair." Sarah didn't look exactly happy, but she wasn't _angry_ either and Elena obeyed her silently until Sarah addressed her next words to Elena. "Will this be your first time?"

"Yes Sarah." She was a bit old for it, but Tobias had said she needed extra training and kept her in training for an extra nine months, then she'd taken just over two months to sell. It wasn't her fault that her nineteenth birthday had gone past unnoticed while she was waiting to be bought.

"Daris will like that." Elena frowned at that, trying to remember if the brunette was Francis or Padma, and disturbed by the hint of bitterness in her voice. And their collars and cuffs were all made out of copper, even Sarah's just looked like silver, so...

"Does he sell his concubines soon after buying them?"

"Yes. I don't think he's kept anyone but me for more than six months." Sarah gave a clearly calculated shudder at that. "I'm so glad he'll never sell me. I couldn't imagine belonging to anyone else." Elena blinked at that, trying to work out how the redhead could have come through the same sort of training _she'd_ had and still be incapable of imagining belonging to another person. Although...Tobias had _said_ that some concubines were sold purely on their looks, or on an unusual reaction in bed - not that he'd explained what _that_ meant.

"I'm glad you've found what you want with our master then." Elena wasn't sure what else she could say, but she'd be polite and it seemed to please Sarah.

"Thank you. Wanda, are you finished yet?"

"Not quite Sarah. I'm sorry, but I can't rush this."

"No, of course you can't. Could you keep working on her if she was standing up though?"

"Yes, of course." Wanda stopped working on Elena's hair and she obeyed the implied order, standing up and moving around the chair to make it easier for Wanda. She didn't quite understand _why_ Sarah wanted to measure around her waist and bust, but she didn't object, and did her best to co-operate.

"Hmm...Francis, get the brown and gold 24."

"Yes Sarah." So Padma was the girl with dark skin and dark auburn hair, not the brunette Elena would remember that. When Francis returned she was carrying what Elena recognised as a corset, one that would come to just above her nipples and lift her breasts without separating them. She'd worn a corset before, as part of her training, but since she was going to be marketed for her practicality and similarity to the Planet's Weapon's first concubine her teachers hadn't gone into details on the various types. But she did know that the corset Sarah intended to put her in was fairly simple, and a less expensive type than the sort that would separate her breasts. That probably meant the harem had a lot of corsets that were basically shared the way this one seemed to be.

"Come here Elena." She obeyed, leaving Wanda behind as Sarah unfastened the corset at the front opening, it had a special name but Elena couldn't remember what it was at the moment. "Lift your arms over your head." When Elena obeyed Sarah wrapped the corset around her body and began fastening the front, working from the bottom up, and adjusting Elena's breasts to suit her without a word of warning. "Padma, tighten the lacing for her."

"As you wish Sarah." Sarah still kept playing with Elena's breasts as Padma worked on lacing her up, and Elena drew in a pained breath as she realised Padma intended to close the corset completely, pulling the laces just a little too tight for Elena. "Our master doesn't like the appearance of a corset that isn't completely closed, he says it looks sloppy. _I_ think the effect of skin under lacing's pretty erotic, but my opinion doesn't matter."

"No, I don't imagine it does." Elena accepted Padma's indirect apology, but she didn't have time to say anything else as Sarah led her to a new room containing nothing but a bed piled with pillows and a chest that Elena resisted the temptation to open when Sarah left. Instead she sat down on the bed, a little awkwardly and began meditating to help the time pass.

She'd manage to block out the world pretty thoroughly by the time Daris arrived, and the first she knew of his presence was when he pulled her to her feet by her hair, kissing her harshly. She didn't mean to, but in her surprise she made a pained sound into his mouth, and from the way he thrust against her at that he _liked_ hearing her pain. So she whimpered and struggled just a bit as he captured her hands, pinning her wrists behind her with one hand while he used the other to reclaim his hold on her hair, kissing her roughly all the while.

Then he moved down to her throat, and Elena was expecting him to just kiss her there, perhaps leave a few lovebites, so when he set his teeth into her throat and bit down she _screamed_, trying to pull away until she realised that just made it hurt more. And when he pulled back, shaking her by the hair she could feel blood trickling from where he'd wounded her.

"Don't you _dare_ pull away from me like that again!"

"N-no my lord." She might have expected this sort of violence from a warrior caste, not a healer caste, and Elena was too shocked to know what to do. But he seemed satisfied by her stuttered response and she shivered as he began moving down to her breasts, kissing at first, then biting when he got to the exposed upper surfaces, hard enough to make her bleed, and scream.

He pushed her back onto the bed, releasing her hands just soon enough that she could use them to break her fall, with an order to stay there, and she watched him open the chest, wondering Daris would do to her next. Looking down she could see two bites on her left breast, and _three_ on her right, all bleeding, although not as badly as the one at the base of her throat had to be bleeding from the way her blood was trickling to her breasts. She didn't try to fight it as Daris pushed her to lie back on the bed, tying her hands to a ring set into the headboard that she hadn't noticed, and each ankle to one of the posts at the foot of the bed, stretching her to the utmost limits of her flexibility.

Elena tried her best to relax while Daris opened his pants, pulling his cock out, but it was hard, and she'd only just managed to stop whimpering when he climbed on top of her, pushing in without any care or lubrication, and it _hurt_. She screamed at the pain, giving him what he wanted as something tore inside her, letting him push as far into her as he wanted, and then again as he seemed to hit her cervix. He just laughed and traced one of the bite marks on her breasts with a finger before pulling back, and thrusting into her again, mercifully shallower this time, although if anything it hurt _more_ and she realised there was already something wet between her legs, even though she'd started off painfully dry. In an effort to distract herself Elena counted each thrust, trying not to scream as Daris pushed into her, and mostly keeping it down to a whimper.

He pulled right out after the tenth thrust, and moved to untie her legs. If she'd been free Elena would have tried to kick him then, and she'd have been working on freeing her hands the whole time, but she was too well trained to do that, and she just sighed in relief as at least _one_ source of her pain was eased. She didn't try to fight as he flipped her over either, or as he moved pillows under her hips so that her ass was thrust up into the air, even though the thought of Daris taking her _there_ as well was terrifying considering how rough he'd been so far. One thing she would _not_ do was beg, Elena decided in her pain and frustration to keep at least one thing back from him, to have at least one thing she could remember about this with pride.

So she remained silent as Daris tied her legs again, leaving no slack at all, and starting new aches in her body, and when he ran his hand over her ass, pressing his finger against her asshole just long enough to make her squirm. But she couldn't remain silent when he started to _spank_ her, the way her mother had spanked her once or twice when she'd been a child, only harder. Still, it was a relief when he just entered her normally, even if it _was_ from behind, and he only hit her cervix twice out of the thirteen thrusts he used to finish himself off.

Elena was crying when Daris withdrew, stood and pushed his dry fingers into her, probing around inside her before pulling them out roughly.

"You'll recover. When she comes to get you tell Sarah I said you could have a Potion."

"Ye-es my luh-lord." Then he _left_ and Elena hesitated before deciding to do what she could to free herself, instead of depending on Sarah to do it for her. She did her best to relax a bit and wriggled her hips, trying to dislodge some of the pillows under them, without any success, but froze when she heard someone, presumably Sarah, come in.

"Just relax. I'll free you." Was that a hint of anger in Sarah's voice, or amusement? Elena couldn't tell, but when she looked up Sarah had a smile on her face. "Did he give any orders?"

"He said I c-could have a Potion." Sarah helped Elena to her feet and led her out to the main room as she spoke.

"Right...then he hurt you more than we can handle with a Cure. Francis, go and get Elena a Potion. Wanda, Padma, help her get the corset off and check it over for any staining."

"Yes Sarah." The answers came in a near chorus, and Sarah handed Elena over to Padma, who supported her from in front while Wanda loosened the laces at her back. Looking over Padma's shoulder Elena could see that Sarah was going into the bathroom.

"She's running a bath for you, nice and hot. You can go and soak until the water goes cold once you've got a Potion in you." Wanda whispered those words into Elena's ear when Padma pushed her back into the other blonde's arms so she could work on the busk - oddly Elena remembered what the front fastening was called this time. "He'll want you a lot this first month, but it will tail off, and he'll hardly be calling you to his bed at all by the time you're halfway through your fifth month, and he'll sell you after six months, unless you turn out to enjoy this sort of thing the way Sarah does."

Elena was too overwhelmed to say anything to that, so she just nodded and drank the Potion Francis gave her, letting Sarah help her into the bath afterwards.


	4. Chapter 4

Elena looked at the huge green bird Rowan's stable hand was offering to her, hoping that her instinctive fear and apprehension weren't _too_ obvious. She was a city girl, and a chocobo would have been an expense her family couldn't afford, and riding hadn't been something Tobias thought a concubine needed to learn. Obviously she didn't hide her emotions well enough, because Rowan laughed as she wrapped an arm around Elena's waist, although the stable hand looked surprised to hear it.

"Have you ever ridden before pet? Ridden anything?" She was tempted to ask if her owners counted, but...Elena didn't think she could risk being so insolent when she'd only belonged to Rowan for a month, even if she was surprisingly informal, already inviting Elena to use her name.

"No Rowan, I haven't, I'm sorry." Always apologise if you can't do something your owner wants, that had been one of the first maxims Elena had learned from Tobias, even if she found it hard to put them into action with a woman three years younger than her. But Rowan's sheer _presence_ and power helped Elena remember her place when her informality tempted her to forget.

"It's alright pet. I'll help you up, and down later on. And Verde, that's the green you'll be riding, will follow my Noir without any need for you to guide him. All you have to worry about is staying on."

"I'll try." Even though she didn't have a clue about _how_ to stay on if the bird tried to throw her off; but there was a horn on the front of the saddle, perhaps she could hang on to that since she was _sure_ it would be a bad idea to hang on to the reins.

"A piece of advice, use the strength in your legs to hold on. I _know_ you've got strong enough thighs for that, just wrap them around him the way you wrap them around me." The last sentence was whispered in Elena's ear as Rowan kissed her cheek before putting her hands on Elena's waist to boost her up to the saddle. Elena couldn't help but let out a startled yip as the smaller woman lifted her so easily, almost tossing her into the saddle, rather than just helping her up and she barely managed to get her legs into place, grateful for Verde's apparent docility - especially compared to the temper being displayed by the black that was being saddled to one side.

"Is that Noir?" The black chocobo truly frightened her, but she knew that as a _warrior caste_ Rowan was more than capable of handling anything she wanted to. She tightened her legs around the green, except Verde shifted under her, and she realised she'd been gripping _too_ tightly if he thought that was a signal to get going, since the stable hand took a firmer grip on the reins and gave her a dirty look until she relaxed a little.

"I'll tie these up where she can't get hold of them shall I my lady?"

"Yes, do that. And yes, that's Noir. If you'd like I can have Bill tie you to the saddle?"

"Ah, no. I think I can manage Rowan." Elena was _still_ sensitive about being tied up after what her first owner had enjoyed. Her second owner had been male as well, but warrior caste, and he hadn't felt the need to restrain her with anything but his own body. But she should show some gratitude; Rowan had obviously meant her offer as a sign of care. "Thank you for your concern."

"You're my concubine, I'm supposed to care about you and keep you safe." She said it so simply, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and perhaps to her it was, but after Daris Elena had a hard time believing that.

"But I should still show my appreciation." Rowan didn't say anything else, just leapt easily onto her chocobo, and led the way out. Elena concentrated on not falling off, holding onto the saddle horn in front of her and keeping her feet in the stirrups, and Rowan seemed to understand she needed all her concentration for that, so they rode in silence. By the time she was up to looking around at the scenery they'd left the city and were riding through the countryside, over a meadow towards a small forest.

Verde obediently stopped when Rowan pulled Noir to a halt, but Elena felt a bit too stiff to actually move at first, and Rowan was off her chocobo and getting something out of her saddlebags before she tried to dismount herself.

"No, just stay where you are for a moment, let me help you down." But first she set up the folding chair she'd taken out of the saddlebags, then Rowan reached up to help Elena down, and guided her to sit on the chair. "Just rest while I take care of our mounts."

"I should help." She didn't want to, or even really know how to, but Elena knew that it was her place to take care of Rowan, not the other way around. But Rowan just laughed at her offer, quickly and efficiently unsaddling Noir and Verde and grooming them lightly.

"You don't need to pet. But you can get the blankets out of my left saddlebag and spread them over the grass if you feel up to it."

"Yes Rowan." Elena obeyed, embarrassed by her weakness and knelt on one of the blankets waiting for Rowan to finish.

"Hsst pet, there's no need to be so upset. Scarlet didn't know how to ride when I got her either, I'll just have fun teaching you, that's all. Or at least I can get someone to teach you if I'm not available." Rowan bent over Elena, tilting her chin up for a kiss before sitting in front of her. "I _was_ going to wait until after we'd eaten, but you're just too tempting for me to do that." Elena didn't fight it as Rowan pushed her back to lie on the blanket, or as she slowly stripped Elena naked, but when Rowan started kissing her way down her body, towards her groin, she tried to sit up again in confusion.

"Rowan?" It looked almost as if she was going to...

"Hush. Don't fight me on this." Then Rowan pushed Elena back down with one casual hand, and she shivered, spreading her legs obediently, letting her _owner_ lick ever so carefully at the vagina, carefully avoiding her clitoris at first, moistening her until she became aroused enough for Rowan to slide two fingers inside her, pressing on _that_ spot as she finally focused on Elena's aching clitoris and she screamed her climax. Rowan lifted her head, grinning and came to kneel by Elena's head, stripping her pants off on the way and opening her legs wide. "My turn now, if you're good I've got a toy or two you might like to try."

Elena set to with a will at that, hoping enthusiasm would compensate for her lack of skill and experience; Rowan knew _just_ what sort of toys worked best for girls, and she was really good about sharing them.


	5. Chapter 5

Elena muttered a quiet curse as she pulled her pants down and realised _why_ her stomach had been aching since she got up. It was early for her period, even with how her cycle'd been short a day or two since Rowan bought her just over three months ago and since she didn't _usually_ have much in the way of cramping she hadn't made the connection. She wiped herself clean and used tissues as a stop-gap while she got some fresh _black_ panties and a pad, then put her soiled panties to soak in cold water. At least now she had an excuse to hide away in her room by herself and say no if Rowan asked for her and she made sure that Willow heard her order a hot water bottle, as well as a replacement every hour before she retreated to her bedroom, to wonder what Wilhelmina was doing today, how she was celebrating her sixteenth birthday.

Elena hoped and prayed that her sister was _happy_, that both of them were happy, that her sacrifice had bought Wilhelmina a chance at further education, at a job where her life wouldn't be at near constant risk and a chance of something better than Elena had expected at her age. And that Lucy had been able to relax now that their debts were paid off, and Wilhelmina was provided for, that she wasn't under as much stress as she had been until she agreed to sell Elena. But Elena missed them, and she found herself crying without knowing why as she wondered if she should ask Rowan for permission to contact her family.

"Elena? I decided to bring this in for you myself."

"Thank you Scarlet." Elena pushed herself up to a sitting position and smiled at the older woman; even if she didn't really want to talk to anyone it was best to be polite to Rowan's first concubine. "I...please, sit down."

"Thank you." Scarlet chose to join Elena on her bed, and she bit the inside of her lip to resist the urge to protest as the woman handed her fresh hot water bottle over to her, and taking her old one and putting it on her other side. "Do you want to tell me about the problem, whatever it is, or would you feel better keeping it private?"

Since she'd been given the option of staying quiet Elena wasn't going to tell anyone about Wilhelmina, certainly not a woman who'd be a slave for the rest of her life. But this was the worst her cramps had ever been, she could use any advice Scarlet had to give, and she _thought_ she could use that to mention that she'd like to write to her sisters, but wasn't sure about how, or even if, she should ask Rowan.

"I've never had cramps this bad before during my period. I...it worries me a bit, but I only knew about the hot water bottle thing because I've seen other concubines doing it. If I still lived with my sister I'd be asking her for advice, and that reminded me that I sometimes wish I could write to her." She hadn't _dared_ think about it with Daris and since her second master had taken her to Wutai she hadn't been comfortable asking to have letters posted to Midgar, or expecting her sister to pay for the postage back. But she didn't think it would cost that much to send letters between Junon and Midgar.

"What makes you think you can't contact your family? Rowan won't mind, ask her the next time your together, and she'll probably send your letter with the next set of messages she dispatches to Midgar. And if you can't wait for that, or you don't have time to write everything you want, you can use your allowance to pay for it to be posted separately." Scarlet's confidence and the way she acted as if Elena's wistful regret was nothing but a fairly common request comforted Elena, a lot.

"Thank you for letting me know. I...you know that we aren't allowed contact with anyone during training, so I guess I assumed..." Elena bit her lower lip, looking away from Scarlet, not wanting to mention the _other_ reason she hadn't dared to bring it up earlier.

"That you wouldn't be allowed contact now either. I can see where you'd think that. Now, about your period pains. Have you asked for a painkiller?" Scarlet's question was frank and honest, and Elena looked back up at her in response.

"No. I suppose I should have, but I figured I might as well just wallow, since Rowan isn't likely to ask for me today." That earned her a laugh, something she didn't understand.

"You'd be surprised. Well, she won't ask you to warm her bed if you're hurting, but she really doesn't have a problem bedding a woman during her period. Just as well really, since I've found that after a while new arrivals tend to synch up with the rest of us. I'm three days into my own period at the moment, so you should be on the same cycle as the rest of us next month."

"I hadn't realised that would happen." The turnover with Daris must have been too quick for it to affect her cycle. Elena didn't want to talk about that, but she should make some explanation for her ignorance. "My last master bought me specifically to give him a female available while his spouse was pregnant."

"Ah, she would have been a low noble or a commoner then?"

"I couldn't say. I never met her." Scarlet looked surprised at that, but surely she realised that it was unusual for concubines to be given as much freedom as Rowan gave them. Elena had been restricted to Daris' harem, and her last master had given her a bit more freedom, but he still hadn't allowed his concubines outside of specified areas of his home, areas that his spouse apparently never entered, at least not during the time Elena had been there.

"Come on, let's get you a painkiller, then I'll show you what _I_ find works best for cramps." Scarlet stood, offering a hand down to Elena, and she couldn't exactly refuse. Scarlet kissed the back of her hand, and that was odd, at least to Elena, something Rowan would do, but she didn't object, didn't know if she had the right to. Scarlet handed her a couple of pills and a glass of water, then she led Elena back into the bathroom, where she balked a bit.

"Scarlet..." She didn't know exactly _how_ to object, but Elena had _no_ intention of taking a bath while she was bleeding.

"We're going to use the wet room, and it's through here, you know that."

"Ah." Elena stopped resisting Scarlet then, a shower wouldn't be bad at all, it sounded rather nice in fact, and a shower in the wet room was something wonderful. "Do you want me to get undressed then?"

"Please. And you might want to change pads now." Willow had pointed out everywhere the harem kept sanitary supplies during Elena's first period after Rowan bought her and Elena obediently collected a fresh pad as Scarlet did the same, putting the soiled pads in one of the three small bins kept for that purpose before entering the wet room. At first all Elena was thinking about was getting herself clean, and enjoying how the heat of the water soothed her cramps and other muscle aches, but then Scarlet pressed her against the wall and kissed her, one hand on her shoulder, the other on her hip.

"Scarlet...please..." She didn't want sex now, she couldn't imagine _why_ Scarlet would want to fuck her when she was like this, but she didn't want to risk refusing too hard, in case it displeased Scarlet. "I really don't feel up to this now; I miss my sisters and I'm hurting."

"I told you I'd show you what works for my cramps; sex does it for me, makes the aches disappear, or at least less relevant. And I get it, you're feeling insecure, I promise you that I'll take care of you, that's what really good sex is about." She couldn't keep on protesting, not in the face of Scarlet's concern, and Elena nodded, submitting to the other woman's will, opening her mouth for Scarlet's tongue when she kissed her again. "Good, good."

Scarlet moved back a bit as she kissed Elena again, pulling her directly into the water falling from the showerhead, and then she began kissing her way down Elena's body, slowly, paying attention to all the spots Elena responded best to...and Elena wondered at that, at the thought that Scarlet had paid enough attention to her when they'd both been called to Rowan's bed that she remembered them. And then, when she went to her knees in front of Elena...it gave her an odd sense of near vertigo, yet something about the sight through the falling water was strangely arousing, even now. She couldn't quite believe what Scarlet was doing when she braced herself with one hand on Elena's hip and made that first lick between her legs, even though the kisses had been a clear indication of her intentions Elena had still been refusing to believe it when Scarlet kissed her pubic mound. But she couldn't deny that Scarlet planned to give her oral sex when that incredibly skilled tongue was working on her, and even inside her, despite the blood.

"Ah! Oh! Pl-please, _that_ again." And she cried out in climax when Scarlet _listened_ to her. She thought Scarlet would stop then, but she didn't, she just kept on going, easing up a little because Elena was sensitive, but still bringing her to climax again and again, the last few with her fingers inside Elena as well. Elena's knees were so weak that she collapsed on the floor when Scarlet let go of her, and she just blinked at the other woman, trying to get her thoughts back in order.

"I should..." She reached out towards Scarlet, ashamed of the reluctance she knew the other woman would see, but unwilling to hide it, to pretend that she was doing this from more than a sense of obligation. Scarlet smiled, picking a golden pubic hair from between her teeth, and pulled Elena to sit in her lap, kissing her again and stroking one breast almost idly.

"Here, this will do." She pulled Elena's hand down between their bodies to her groin, and Elena obeyed the unspoken order, moving carefully, unnerved at first by how smooth she was at her groin and the memories it brought up for Elena, then doing what pleased Scarlet and pushing her own discomfort from her mind. "Did this help, at all?"

"I...yes, it did." And it had been a comfort as well, reminded Elena that there were rewards as well as hardships to be found in the life she'd chosen for her sisters' sake.

"Good."

Note: I'm not sure if Scarlet actually gets off on menstrual blood, or if it's just something she doesn't mind (that Rowan taught her not to mind) and I suspect that this encounter was something Rowan ordered, to find out _Elena's_ attitude to sex with a woman on her period. Rowan can easily enough limit the concubines she beds when she's on _her_ period to those who don't actually mind it, or actively enjoy the blood, which is why she bothers to find out how they feel about it.


	6. Interlude I

Rowan stroked Elena's hair and back as she held the blonde against her, wondering what was making her so tense. She wasn't _used_ to having one of her concubines so uncomfortable in her arms, at least none but her very newest concubines, they learned to trust her enough to relax within the first month she owned them, or she sold them back. And on the rare occasion that a concubine was tense _before_ she bedded them the sex had _never_ failed to make them relax, until now. Although...that wasn't entirely accurate, was it? Elena had been almost boneless in her arms after that last climax, but she'd immediately started to tense up again after a brief moment.

"Elena, is there something you want to talk to me about?" From the way she stiffened Rowan had hit on the right question, but...perhaps she'd been a bit too blunt. "I won't be angry with you, or at least I'll try not to be angry. And if I am I promise the most I'll do is dump you on the bed and walk out of here."

"I...Scarlet said I should ask you for permission to write to my family." Was that all? None of Rowan's other concubines had asked for that, or she'd have made sure they all knew that she would allow outside communication, at least in the form of letters.

"You have it. Where do they live?" Her easy agreement and simple question seemed to shock Elena, and all the tension ran out of her body like water. Rowan had to wonder what her previous owners had been like if the girl was so reluctant to ask for something so minor.

"I...they live in Midgar, on the outskirts." Better yet.

"I'm sending a messenger to Midgar in five days. If you can have your letter ready in four days I'll tell him to take it with him, and you can tell him where to deliver it." Rowan frowned in thought, forgetting about the effect it might have on Elena until she tensed up again, just slightly. "Hush." She stroked along Elena's spine to reassure her. "I was only thinking, I'm pleased you trust me enough to tell me about this, truly." Her family might not have enough money to maintain a regular correspondence with her, and that might have been why this was her first chance to communicate with her family; she knew the slave trading hall kept even concubines isolated from the outside world. Rowan could help there as well.

"I need to send messages to Midgar every two to three weeks, so let your family know that, and tell them that if they have their letters ready for him he will pick them up and deliver them back to you. Just at one house though."

"Yes. _Thank_ you Rowan. I...I didn't think I could ask until Scarlet told me it would be okay." And Elena seemed almost ashamed to have asked, when it was Rowan who should be ashamed, that she hadn't realised that her concubines might like to contact their families, that she hadn't wanted them to have interests outside her inner household, or at most her full household.

"Scarlet was right to tell you to ask."

"And I'll thank her for that later." Elena shivered, and licked at Rowan's lower lip, and she smiled at that, rolling them over so she was on top.

"Ready again so soon?" But Rowan was already exploring Elena's body again, enjoying the knowledge that this lovely young woman was _hers_.

"Oh yes my lady, yes."


	7. Interlude II

Scarlet glanced over at Elena as she walked into the harem common room, surprised to realise that she was working on her gem carving. Elena usually did that in her room, although...the light _was_ better here than it was in Scarlet's room. She wondered what her lover was working on at the moment that she needed the extra light and decided to walk over and see.

"Ah!" Elena blinked as if she was awakening from a trance of some sort and she put her work down to stretch, arching her back and treating Scarlet to a nice view of her breasts. "Hello Scarlet."

"Hello Elena. What are you working on now?" She'd given quite a few of her earlier efforts as gifts to the other concubines, but Scarlet was the only one who got to see everything her surprisingly talented lover carved from her gems, including her efforts with the garnets Rowan had given her when she said she was ready to try something other than quartz.

"Just finished actually, and here, look!" Elena sounded so proud of herself, and when Scarlet looked at the garnet lying on the table in front of her she could see why. It was carved in the form of a serpent coiled in sleep, and the detailing was amazing, down to the suggestion of tiny scales covering the serpent's body.

"Wow, that is the most incredible piece of art I've seen." Scarlet didn't even feel envious of Elena's talent in her chosen craft, she was too much in awe for that. _Her_ efforts at embroidery were an embarrassment, but it had been the craft she'd shown most promise at, since her work with make-up wasn't counted as a craft.

"I...thank you." Elena was _blushing_, delightfully to Scarlet's eye. "I appreciate the compliment, but I wondered, do you know why Rowan was willing to give me so many garnets when I told her I thought I was ready to move past working with quartz? I'd expected her to arrange for me to get the chance to buy some raw stones, tiger's eye, or carnelian and the like, or if she was feeling generous give me about ten assorted uncut gems, not for her to give me twenty five garnets to work on."

"I can explain that." It wasn't a _secret_, but it wasn't common knowledge either, and Scarlet knew Rowan wouldn't mind her sharing the information, so she perched on the table beside Elena's work to talk to her. "You already know that gems cost a lot less if they aren't cut, right?"

"Yes, because fewer people have worked on them."

"I guess." It was logical, but Scarlet wasn't certain about that. "And you know that things tend to cost less if you buy a lot of them at the same time?"

"I'm not sure what you mean..." Elena was frowning, and Scarlet resisted the urge to tell her not to do that because of the lines it would give her. "Oh, wait, you mean like how if you buy a pack of three chocolate bars it costs less than buying the three chocolate bars individually?"

"I guess so, anyway, you know Rowan likes garnets, and she has our collars and cuffs custom made, so she buys raw garnets in bulk, and has them cut to go in our collars and cuffs. Actually I think she selects which garnets will be used for every concubine she has. I understand it costs less that way overall, because she's supplying the garnets they charge her a bit less for the work, and because she's seeing to _one_ of the aspects of the perfection she orders herself."

"Oh, I see." Elena stood with a smile. "I feel a bit less guilty about the two stones I've ruined so far then. But I think I could do with a break just now. Don't you agree?" And then Elena leaned forward and kissed Scarlet full on the lips, more forward than she'd ever been before, and something Scarlet just _had_ to reward. Not that it was a chore to lead Elena away to her bedroom for some fun.


	8. Chapter 6

"Blake, use your tongue on Elena to help her relax while Nadia takes care of her back." Nadia had already given her a massage before her bath, but now she opened a bottle of cinnamon scented oil, pouring a bit into her hand as she stepped behind Elena. She'd objected when Scarlet had ordered her to wax all over two days ago, not wanting the reminder of Daris, but now as she realised how much more sensitive she was to the touch of Blake's tongue Elena almost understood why Scarlet put herself through that sort of pain on a regular basis. And this time it hadn't hurt as much as she'd expected, not the way it had when Daris would wax her before fucking her, enjoying her pain.

"Could you hold her hair out of the way please Cathryn?" Elena would have done that herself, if she'd thought about it, but she didn't have a chance to offer before her wet hair was lifted off her back and someone dried her off again before Nadia began rubbing the oil onto her back. But then Willow caught hold of one hand and began to paint a base coat on her fingernails as Cathryn started drying her hair, just using towels, splitting her hair into many little sections and working on them one at a time, presumably at some instruction of Scarlet's Elena had missed or not been there for.

Blake was almost as good at this as Scarlet was, and Elena was thankful for the way he braced her at the hips with his arms, gripping his shoulders for balance with the hand Willow released. But unlike Scarlet he let Elena push him away after her first climax, and Scarlet just smiled when Elena looked at her, just daring her to order Blake back to his task.

"You can get dressed now Blake. I don't think you can be of any further use here." It was a bit early for the others to need to get dressed; almost two hours before they needed to be ready, but Blake didn't object to Scarlet's dismissal of him, just nodded and walked away. Nadia had reached Elena's ass now, and was moving on to her thighs while Willow finished the second layer of base coat.

"Willow, leave her hands for now, come and do my nails instead. And Nadia, I want you to do her arms now, leave the legs for later."

"Yes Scarlet."

"Yes Scarlet." No sooner did Willow release one hand than Nadia took hold of the other, standing on the opposite side to Cathryn and positioning Elena's arm so she could work more easily. There was no point in protesting the way she was being more or less ignored, and for a moment Elena wished she hadn't pushed Blake away; at least his tongue had helped distract her while she was being groomed to Scarlet's satisfaction. Cathryn moved around behind her as Nadia reached Elena's forearm, and she felt the other woman brushing a hand against the back of her neck, muttering something about 'not yet' as she kept on drying Elena's hair.

When Nadia finished that arm, massaging oil into Elena's hand briefly she moved to the other arm, and Cathryn brushed her hand against Elena's neck again, this time skimming down her spine to just below her shoulder blades before going back to drying Elena's hair. Elena was grateful that _she_ wouldn't be the one brushing her hair out this time, because she was convinced that it would be badly tangled as a result of the way Cathryn had to keep pinning it up to make sure no oil got onto it.

"The legs now Scarlet?"

"I think so. Then you can do the front of her body after that." Blake returned, wearing a scarlet tunic, as Nadia knelt in front of Elena to start on her legs. "Thank you Willow. I think Blake can take over on my nails from here. You can get dressed now, then finish off Elena's fingernails and start on her toenails."

Nadia had finished massaging oil into Elena's skin by the time Willow returned, face painted just a little, lipstick and mascara, nothing more, wearing a tunic identical to Blake's, allowing for the differences in cut needed to accommodate her curves. It had a high neckline that ended just below her collar, and fell to the middle of her thighs, and Elena could see that Willow was wearing a bra underneath, although she probably wasn't wearing panties, since _Blake_ had displayed his lack of underwear when he knelt to paint Scarlet's toenails in a shade that matched his tunic perfectly.

When Willow grabbed hold of Elena's hand she started by wiping the nails with a soft cloth, probably to get rid of any of that oil Nadia had left on them, then she started to paint them with garnet, the same shade as the jewels in her collar. The garnets in _Willow_'_s_ collar were a little brighter, but Scarlet was the only one of them who had any other jewel in her collar, and she wore rubies.

"Might I go and dress now Scarlet?"

"Yes, and you can help me with my bra as well." Scarlet left with Nadia, and this time when Cathryn ran her fingers down Elena's back they went all the way to her ass.

"Willow, check her thighs every so often please, and tell us when she can sit down without getting oil all over."

"We could put a towel on the chair, so that she can sit down now. I don't really think it's going to be _that_ much of a problem if some of the oil is wiped off onto the towel."

"No, neither do I, not really. Do you want us to do that for you Elena?" Elena hadn't expected them to actually address her directly, all of the harem, even the recently purchased Cathryn, seemed to start thinking of her as some sort of sacrifice as soon as Rowan announced her intention of giving Elena to the Planet's Weapon as an espousal gift. And you didn't really talk to a sacrifice, you groomed her and made sure she was presented as perfectly as possible, but Elena's sense of isolation from the other concubines had started then.

"Please, do." Cathryn let Elena's hair fall down her back then as she moved to prepare a seat for her, and Willow kept on working on her nails, letting her sit down once the first coat of colour was on. Cathryn started using a comb on Elena's hair then, detangling it as she finished drying it, then running straighteners over it once Willow moved on to working on Elena's feet. Willow had just finished the two layers of base coat on Elena's toenails when Scarlet returned, wearing a lace bra and panties that matched her nails, with Nadia beside her carrying burgundy and garnet clothes over one arm.

"Willow, Cathryn, you can leave that for now. Elena, if you'll stand up we can help you into your clothing for tonight." Elena stood when the other two women gave her room to move, and stepped forward, before stepping into the silk undergarment Nadia was holding open for her. Elena couldn't quite remember the name of the swimsuit-like garment, but she co-operated, positioning her breasts correctly as Nadia laced it up behind her, relieved that there was no boning to alter her shape, and that the lacing was merely to make sure the silk lay tight across her skin. She noted almost absently that the silk matched her nails perfectly, as did the embroidery on the burgundy tunic Cathryn was helping her put on, fastening the buttons at the back of her neck.

Then Blake returned, carrying Elena's collar and cuffs, polished to the shine they'd had when new. Elena wouldn't have thought of requesting that, and it had been Scarlet who ordered her to remove them and give them to her just a day ago, but she could see just how much they had benefited from it. She put them back on as she sat down, on a different seat this time, at Scarlet's direction, and she was surprised when _Scarlet_ came to do her make-up while Willow finished off her toenails and Cathryn began putting her hair up. Now more than ever she felt like a prize chocobo being groomed for parade, but she didn't say anything, in case it displeased Scarlet, and distracted her from what she was doing.

"Cathryn, how close are you to being finished?"

"Just another five minutes."

"Good. Elena, can you think of anything else we should do?"

"I..." Elena blinked in astonishment at _finally_ hearing her opinion called for, then lifted her hand to her ears, checking that they weren't hidden by her hair. "In my jewellery box there's a pair of garnet stud earrings, as well as a pair of garnet teardrops. One of those might be appropriate." She didn't personally like the more elaborate earrings in her box, but she wore them to please Rowan, and had always intended to sell all but the simplest earrings when she was sold, or given away, as it transpired.

"Hmmm. Yes, I think with this hairstyle you need simple earrings. They are yellow gold aren't they?" But Scarlet didn't wait for an answer before she continued; it had probably been a rhetorical question anyway, Rowan only really gave yellow gold jewellery to her concubines. "Nadia, go and get both pairs of earrings. We can decide which look better on."

Nadia didn't acknowledge the command with more than a nod before leaving in search of the earrings Elena had described. When Cathryn had finished with her hair Scarlet pulled Elena to her feet and led her to inspect herself in the mirror. Elena gasped in surprise, noting the gold combs set with garnets that held her elaborate hairstyle in place almost absently, focusing instead on the bold make-up Scarlet had applied with a flare Elena knew she could not match. Left to herself Elena would use only the lightest of make-up, almost always subtle, shades of brown on her eyes and peaches or dusky pinks on her lips, and she normally stuck to arranging her hair as simply as she could get away with.

"Well, what do you think so far?"

"Your skill is nothing short of breathtaking, yours and Cathryn's. These combs..." She trailed off, trying to find a polite way of asking if someone was lending them to her, or if they were hers to keep.

"A parting gift, from our lady, and from myself." From Scarlet as well? She hadn't given Grace a parting gift when Rowan sold her, nor to Elena's knowledge had Rowan given her a parting gift. Scarlet laughed, probably at the confusion Elena _knew_ showed in her eyes. "This isn't like selling a concubine back to the market. The circumstances are unique, and we are closer than I was with Grace."

"Thank you then. I wish I had thought to arrange a parting gift for you."

"You don't need to. I'm happy to see you so adorned. Nadia, we'll try the teardrops first. Cathryn, you can go and get dressed now if you want." The teardrops worked, but Elena had forgotten that she owned _two_ pairs of garnet studs, and one pair was unusual, the garnets carved into the shape of a coiled serpent and Elena pressed that pair into Scarlet's hand.

"Please, keep these as a parting gift from me. I know they aren't much, or evidence of any great thought, but I've never worn them, and..."

"And you made them yourself, I remember how pleased Rowan was to see what you did with the garnets she gave you. I am flattered and honoured. And in fact I will wear them tonight." Scarlet fastened the earrings into her ears as she spoke, to Elena's relief, dismissing Nadia to get dressed, before leaving to dress herself. When Scarlet returned Elena could see how well the earrings worked, the same shade as Scarlet's tunic, even if the embroidery matched her nails, and then it was just a matter of waiting to be summoned.


	9. Chapter 7

Elena fell behind Sephiroth as he led her to 'the red guest room' where she was to sleep for the night, and she ran to catch up. He glanced at her, contempt in his eyes, and deliberately slowed his pace to match hers, all in absolute silence. She shivered, trying to control her apprehension and considering just how perverse a sense of humour the Planet must have. It was clear Sephiroth came very close to _hating_ her now, because Rowan had offered her to Cloud, and from Cloud's reaction _he_ returned Sephiroth's love. She couldn't have met the Planet's Weapon in a worse way, but now, at least for a night, she belonged to him, something she'd half wanted, and certainly fantasised about since Tobias had told her that her similarity to Tseng was one of the reasons he'd decided to talk her into a concubinage contract.

She couldn't do anything about Rowan's mistake, and honestly Elena hadn't even known she was making it; she hadn't connected the fact that about a sixth of the Cetra who came looking for concubines brought their consorts with them to a requirement that a gift of a concubine had to be approved by the consort beforehand. But perhaps she could do something to make Sephiroth see her in a more favourable light, in fact she _should_ try to make him look more positively on her and just following him in mouse-like silence certainly wouldn't do that. Besides, the silence was growing uncomfortable, at least for her, so she decided to ask him a question.

"Sir, if you and the Planet's Weapon decide to keep me will I be permitted to cut my hair short, or at least shorter?" It was a slightly presumptuous question, but she couldn't think of anything else, and she'd noticed that _Tseng's_ hair fell only just past his shoulders.

"I'm not certain. Cloud likes playing with my hair, but he's never told me I wasn't allowed to cut it, and he hasn't objected to Tseng's choice to keep it shorter. Why do you ask?" Sephiroth had been honest, and revealed unexpected information about Cloud, Elena knew that she should return the favour and be equally honest - especially since she knew he'd probably be able to tell if she lied.

"Because dealing with long hair's an awful hassle. It tangles in things, and gets dirty a lot more swiftly than short hair does, and it takes longer to dry...sometimes I feel time drying increases with the square of length. And _my_ hair isn't particularly manageable when it's long...it's probably slipping from the combs Cathryn used to put my hair up even now." She didn't really want Cloud's attention - her fantasies had more been about belonging to a man who was unlikely to want to bed her after Daris, and before that it had been of an owner who would probably permit her to learn to fight - and it sounded as if short hair would help discourage him, at least enough to make him unlikely to call for her often. "I...forgive me, but how do you manage to care for hair as long and pale as yours?"

"I...do not believe my hair tangles in the same way an unenhanced human's would, and it is fine enough to be easily managed. As for keeping it clean; most dirt can be brushed out, at least for me." He shrugged as he spoke. "How many owned you before Rowan did?"

"Two. Both male." Elena didn't try to hide her distaste at the memory of her first owner, even though she knew it would probably count against her, as Sephiroth might well think it was for all men. Still, she should probably explain a bit more to make things clear. "The first...was healer caste, but...not what I expected from that." She'd hoped Sephiroth would understand what being owned by a healer caste really meant, but not expected it, so the understanding on his face startled her.

"And the second?"

"He wanted the option of a female while his spouse was unavailable due to pregnancy."

"I see. This is where you are to sleep. There is an attached bathroom, and a servant will bring breakfast to you if need be, so please do not leave this room until one of Cloud's inner household comes for you." Inner household...that meant consort or concubine or Cloud himself in this case.

"Yes sir." She walked into the room, pulling the combs from her hair as she did, relieved that Sephiroth didn't watch her, walking away instead. Once her hair was all loose Elena began to strip down, a matter of urgency as she hadn't been able to use the toilet since two hours before the meal started. She felt just a little regret that in her haste to remove her tunic she'd smeared her make-up onto it, but that didn't matter, not beside the effort of untangling the ribbon that served as lacing at her back.

Afterwards she washed her face clean, and on finding a hairbrush used it to detangle her hair, wishing for her gem-carving kit, even if she didn't feel up to working on anything but quartz at the moment. Pulling on the pyjamas she'd found in the top drawer of the dresser made her feel a little less vulnerable, and she folded her clothes while she considered her situation. She knew her nerves were irrational, Cloud had forgiven Rowan for her offence with no more punishment than breaking off their espousal and even if he had not, from what Tseng had said of him, he was not the type to take his anger out on his inferiors, as Laton sometimes had.

So...the very worst case for Elena was that she would be sold back to the trading company, either by Rowan _or_ by Cloud. In either case she had another eight years or so of being a concubine to look forward to, and she could sell the jewellery Rowan had given her that was not to her taste.

If she wasn't sold she would either still belong to Rowan, and probably be able to resume her relationship with Scarlet, or she would belong to Cloud, who was unlikely to wish to bed her too often, in case it upset his consort. And she liked Tseng, certainly as a friend, possibly as more, so it wouldn't be a hardship if he wished to bed Elena occasionally, especially since he seemed the type to take 'no' for an answer if she was reluctant.

Now that she'd thought things through her situation didn't seem quite as bad as it had at first, and Elena slid into the double bed confident that she'd be able to sleep.


	10. Chapter 8

Elena was awake, and she'd put on the robe that had been hanging beside the bathroom door by the time Tseng arrived to tell her what the Planet's Weapon had decided. The robe clashed a bit with the pyjamas she was still wearing, but that didn't matter: it was warm and she felt better with an extra layer of clothing, even clothing that was easy to remove.

"Please come in sir." She wanted to hear the news in private, where there was a seat if she needed it - unlikely as that was - and it would be best if she was _polite_ to Cloud's first concubine.

"Thanks." But he didn't bother to sit down once the door was closed behind him, looking around the room with a faint smile on his face. "I can take it you don't have any problems at all bedding women?"

"No, I'm still not as _skilled_ as Scarlet is, but I'm more than willing to please our lord's spouse - that is why you ask, isn't it sir?"

"Yes." Tseng laughed at her response. "I doubt Cloud will bed you more than once, well, perhaps once every six months or so. Sephiroth...he doesn't know you enough to be comfortable sharing Cloud with you any more than he has to. And he isn't any keener to share with Brangwen. You'll have to ask her for permission to cut your hair. So, do you have much that needs to be transferred to the harem?"

"Two chests of clothes, about four feet by two feet by two and a half feet. A smaller chest of my underwear, perhaps half the size. My jewellery box, about the same size as my underwear chest. And my craft gear, kept in a box perhaps half again as large as my jewellery box." She shrugged one shoulder as she spoke. "I can carry the smaller chest or the smaller box by myself, but not the larger ones, not any real distance."

"Hmmm. I'll get a couple of slaves to help then." Help...that implied he was expecting Elena to carry what she could herself, and perhaps that he'd take a box as well. Elena appreciated that, she sometimes felt that Rowan was a bit _too_ protective of her concubines, even though she'd made sure Elena learned how to ride a chocobo. "Well, you can get changed first."

"Thank you. But what about the outfit I wore last night?"

"Oh, just leave it here. Someone will collect it and clean it up before returning it to the harem. You can leave the jewellery too, none of Cloud's people will steal it."

"Yes sir." Elena left the room with Tseng, and paused in surprise when she realised there was a blond man kneeling beside the door, against the wall where she couldn't see him from _inside_ the room.

"Rufus, escort Elena to the quarters Cloud's intended spouse is staying in."

"Yes sir. If you'll come with me madam?" She shouldn't be so charmed by such deference, but she was, and she allowed the man to lead her to the rooms she'd been groomed for presentation to Cloud in.

"Elena." Scarlet pulled her into an embrace, kissing her cheek, and Elena could see that she was still wearing the earrings Elena had given her the previous afternoon. "Did the Planet's Weapon decide to keep you then?"

"Yes, he did." Elena was pretty sure she shouldn't tell anyone outside Cloud's household that she was meant for his spouse, so she left it at that. "But I need to get changed before Tseng comes with some slaves to move my things."

"Your chests are where you left them. I'm glad the rest of us just brought our travelling chests." About two thirds the size of the regular clothing chests, they also served as chests for outerwear if any of the concubines had enough clothes to need them. Elena kept the outerwear that matched her formal clothes in the pale oak chest, and the outerwear that matched her casual gear in the dark oak chest she pulled loose black velvet trousers and an equally loose dark blue blouse from. She pulled a plain bra and equally plain pair of panties from her underwear chest, and once she was dressed she hesitated before digging a black tooled leather belt with a fancy buckle from her pale oak chest, using it to emphasise her slim waist and give the illusion of curves.

Tseng was waiting for her, with two fairly muscular men, when she came into the main room and he smiled to see her, after inspecting what she was wearing.

"I take it you've got nothing more...practical?"

"No, this is as practical as it gets from my current wardrobe." Elena shrugged as she really took in Tseng's clothes for the first time. Oh, he looked smart enough, but his trousers were of a plain, heavy fabric, probably cotton, and his shirt was equally practical. "At that it's better than what my last two masters put me in, Rowan gives - _gave_ me far more freedom in casual wear like this."

"I know what you mean. When Aeris bought me for Cloud she ordered new clothes for me as well, because what I had was far too revealing for her tastes." But Tseng was making a small gesture with his hand, and Elena recognised that as a signal to show him where her things were. "If you'll come this way?"

"Lead on." Elena was a bit surprised that Rufus came in as well, but she pointed out her chests and boxes to Tseng and the others, picking up her underwear chest herself. Tseng nodded and picked up the box with her gem-carving equipment for a moment before putting it down.

"You're right, it's a bit too heavy to carry for any real distance." It was just small enough that the weight was the deciding factor, not the shape. "Rufus, come and take one end. By the way, what _is_ your craft?" Tseng asked the question as they moved off, and Elena smiled at the probably reason he asked.

"I carve gemstones. I've only recently started working with anything beyond quartz."

"I see. I'd thought perhaps it was leatherwork or woodwork, gem-carving is extremely unusual." Elena hadn't met another concubine who'd chosen the same craft, and apparently neither had Tseng, or at least he didn't know if he had. "And you have sufficient materials for the moment?"

"Yes. I don't know how much time I'll have to work on my gem-carving, but even if I'm left to my own devices almost all the time I should have enough materials for at least a month." It would only be polite to return his enquiry, or at least Elena thought it would. "And what craft did you train in?"

"Calligraphy. Which art did you select?"

"Dance. Although I haven't actually performed since I was last sold." None of her masters had wanted that from her, although demonstrating her art had usually been one of the things Cetra looking to buy her had expected.

"We'll have to talk about that then, later. I trained in dance as well." That sounded interesting. Elena hoped it was a different branch to the training she'd had, but she didn't think now would be the right time to talk about it, not when they couldn't give demonstrations if they needed to. But there was something else she should discus, and now would probably be a good time.

"Rowan allowed me to write to my family in Midgar. Will this still be permitted?"

"I can't think why it wouldn't. And perhaps you'll be allowed to visit them as well."

"Thank you." It was a relief to know that and she followed Tseng in silence then, putting her underwear chest down in the room he said was hers.

"You three go and get the rest of Elena's things. Elena, you can unpack later, and put everything up in the wardrobe, for now you need to get measured for new formalwear and a new collar and cuffs. I'll show you where."

"Yes sir." Should she ask about what her new collar and cuffs would be like? "I take it my new collar and cuffs will have slots for materia integrated into them?"

"Yes, they will. Although yours will be made of silver, not white gold like mine or platinum like Sephiroth's, and you'll only have one slot in your collar, and I'm not sure what mix of materia you'll be given. Probably things you won't have to think too hard about using until someone gets around to teaching you about that. And please, call me Tseng."

"I can do that. I take it the new formalwear's going to be for announcing Cloud's new spouse?" Elena spoke as they started walking, glancing to Tseng for confirmation.

"Probably. You don't find anything at all strange in me arranging this?"

"No, why should I? I mean Sarah wasn't up to this sort of thing, but she didn't need to be since Daris kept us hidden away mostly, and Scarlet was _really_ good, as well as quite...controlling when it came to what we wore on formal occasions."

"None of your owners have had a consort then. Normally it's the consort's job to do this sort of thing, but Sephiroth doesn't have the training to deal with this, or any interest in acquiring it." Elena thought that was foolish, there was no way to be certain a consort would know how to present concubines well, and concubines were all trained for that.

"And considering how possessive he is of our master he probably isn't keen on spending too much time with someone who's going to be even the slightest distraction from him, right?"

"He'll probably soften towards you eventually, but you won't be as lonely as I was at first anyway." That was good to know at least. "But even at first the worst he'll do is ignore you, he doesn't abuse his position with Cloud or anything."

"Thank you Tseng, but you really don't need to reassure me. You already told us what a good man he is, as well as what a good man the Planet's Weapon is."

"Good. We'll get you measured for your collar and cuffs first. You can take the ones you're wearing at the moment off can't you?"

"Yes, although I rarely do." And Elena showed Tseng as they walked into the room where she was to be measured.


	11. Chapter 9

This was the third time Elena had come to watch Tseng sparring, or training with his knives, and she decided that she'd approach him after he'd finished. He'd been in a good mood after training the other two times she'd come to watch, and even though she _knew_ she should take longer to confirm that his good mood hadn't been coincidence she was too impatient to wait now that she belonged to a Cetra who didn't forbid his concubines from learning to fight. She was sick and tired of feeling helpless, of knowing that for all she was muscular and stronger than most normal women she had no clue on how to put that muscle to use if she needed to defend herself. Not like Lucy, the letters her sisters sent to her had made it clear that her elder sister was as strong and capable as ever, and that her younger sister was doing really well at the school Elena had financed for her.

"Tseng, might I ask you a favour?"

"Is that why you've been hanging around when I'm training? You don't need to do that. You have a right to _ask_ me for what you need or want, and I can always say no. Come on, let's move this somewhere a bit more private."

"Ah, no." Elena held still, resisting Tseng's attempt to lead her away, and grateful that he wasn't the type who would force her to move. "This is the best place for me to ask what I want to ask."

"Go on then." Tseng sounded odd, all emotion gone from his voice, and Elena found it just a little...unnerving, even if she didn't know why. But she couldn't back down now, and she pulled her shoulders back, looking him in the eye as she spoke.

"I want to learn how to use a knife properly, and I was hoping you'd be willing to teach me."

"You want _me_ to teach you?" Tseng's voice was filled with a sort of soft astonishment, and Elena couldn't see why, but at least it wasn't flat the way it had been before.

"Yes, please."

"I'm not sure. You might be better learning from someone else, someone with more experience. Ronan?" Tseng turned to the guard he'd been sparring with, sounding as if he was expecting the man to take over.

"Actually, I think it would be good for you to teach Elena how to use a knife. Going over it with her, breaking it down to the basics, that will make you think about what you're teaching her and what you already know in a new light. But you shouldn't spend more than half your training time working with her. The rest of the time I want to see you working with someone who's better than you, or by yourself if you have to." Tseng started off looking almost mutinous, but when Ronan explained how it would benefit _him_ and how much he wanted to limit the time Tseng spent working with her he seemed to consider it seriously.

"I suppose I'm going to teach you how to use a knife properly then." Tseng didn't sound enthusiastic, more resigned, but at least he'd agreed, and perhaps if Elena proved herself a good enough student that would change. She was going to do everything she could to make sure that Tseng did come to see teaching her as something other than a tedious chore at any rate. "Cloud won't mind, and I was honestly surprised that he didn't order you to satisfy some sort of minimum training time the way he did me." Elena wasn't really surprised - her owner hadn't even fucked her once yet, not that she'd done anything to bring herself to his attention, which had seemed to melt some of the ice when it came to Sephiroth and his displeasure at her presence. "But Brangwen might. I'll teach you for three hours a week, every other day starting tomorrow, but on at least three of the other four days I want you to get Brangwen to teach you how to fight without weapons. And you need to tell her that I'm teaching you how to use a knife. If she decides to forbid it..."

"I understand Tseng." The order to talk to Brangwen about her fighting lessons might have been a way to avoid having to give them, if it came from another man, but Elena could tell that Tseng had been genuinely puzzled by Cloud's failure to order her to learn how to fight better, say rather at all.

"You'll still have to do a lot of work yourself, even to use what I'm teaching you. I know that everyone has a different centre of gravity, but for a woman, even a woman like you, it's a lot lower than most men would have it. So what I teach you won't work exactly right at first." A woman like her? Tseng must be talking about how little she had in the way of curves, and how she _did_ have muscles, even if she wasn't in the same sort of shape as Cloud's guards, or as Lucy probably still was.

"I know how to balance right from dancing, so if a move doesn't feel quite right I should adjust it until I know that I'm properly balanced?"

"And get me, or one of Cloud's guards to check as you run through your move, yes. For now, I want to see if you can hold a knife right, and what sort of stance you think you should start from. Here." He pushed a knife into her hand, and Elena took it, adjusting her grip the way her father had once taught her and Lucy to do with a new weapon, or better, whenever she had a weapon in her hand. "Hmmm. Good. You're thinking about your grip on the knife, and it's acceptable but it could be better."

"Show me then." Tseng had sounded almost as if he would allow her to keep on working with the inferior grip she used, and she didn't want that, so she allowed him to reposition her fingers one by one to what he considered the best grip for her.

"Now, I want you to get into position as if you were going to use that knife." That she could do. Elena pulled her balanced stance from her dancing, but the positioning of the knife, low, in front of her midriff, and the way she held her other hand slightly higher, knuckles out to block any other attacks, came from what little she remembered from her father's lessons before he died. "Not bad, but there's a few things you need to correct." She let him correct her stance, even though some of the changes didn't entirely make sense to her she accepted them, and did her best to fix them in her memory, waiting for the faint smile of approval when he was satisfied.

"Good. You can give me the knife back now. The first thing you need to do is learn how to fall."

"I know how to fall, I'm a dancer."

"Do you know how to fall with a knife in your hand, and still keep control of the knife, keep from hurting yourself or dropping it and having to look for it?" Tseng was scanning the area as he spoke, not really focusing on her, but Elena was grateful for that.

"I...no, I don't." And she hadn't even thought of the possibility that she might need to do that either.

"Go get a wooden practice knife then. Zack, over here!" Elena glanced back to see Tseng talking to Zack as she left the room, but they were standing silently together by the time she returned.

"Zack will get a start on teaching you how to fall with a knife today. You'll spend between half an hour and an hour working on that with him every week. Clear?"

"Yes sir." With that Tseng left, and she focused on Zack and what he was telling her to do.

Note: I've written a one-shot set in this universe with completely original characters, Rowan's family, and I'm not sure if I should put it up here, or just at my livejournal. I'd appreciate knowing what my readers here think about that.


	12. Interlude III

Cloud shut his eyes and drew in a deep breath for calm, then walked into the bedroom where Brangwen was waiting for him. Last month had been an absolute disaster, they'd only managed to couple without hurting her one day out of the three Aeris had said she was fertile on and the first day Cloud hadn't been able to perform at all. Brangwen had told him not to bother with foreplay this month; she'd make sure she was ready for him and he should concentrate on making sure he had an erection.

He hadn't expected to see Elena there sitting on the floor by the bed Brangwen was lying on, although her position on the bed was no surprise. Last month Brangwen had insisted he raise her hips on pillows afterwards as well, and the only surprise was that this time she intended to stay in that position while he mounted her. Elena...was a bit of a distraction, but Cloud wasn't going to tell Brangwen she couldn't have whatever she needed to make this easier on her. So he did his best to ignore the human while he stripped off, stroking himself as he thought of Sephiroth before climbing onto the bed beside Brangwen.

He still didn't really know what it took to make a woman enjoy sex, but he thought kissing had translated well enough last month, so that was what he started with, one hand cupping Brangwen's left breast as he explored her mouth. He stroked her nipple with his thumb as he pulled back, resting his other hand on her right hip, as he moved to straddle her, then she took hold of his left wrist, firmly removing his hand from her breast.

"Brangwen?" He frowned down at her, wondering what he'd done wrong this time.

"Cloud, I know you don't really want to have sex with me, and I appreciate it that you're _trying_ to make this feel good for me, but I told you before that you don't need to. I don't care if you just climb on top of me and stick it in, as long as you come inside me. We both know the only reason you're not just wanking into a cup for me to pour into myself without your help is that the only way we'll get a child qualified to be your heir if it comes to that is doing it this way, so just get on with it."

"Ah...right." Not that her attitude was doing much for his libido. But he was still hard, if only barely, and he shut his eyes, thinking of Sephiroth as he positioned himself to take her. Then she seemed to get impatient just as he was in place, and she pulled him down and into her almost roughly.

"Hey!" But as his eyes flew open he noticed the impatient look on her face, as well as the hint of frustration, and decided to just _move_. He didn't try to hold back the way he always did with Sephiroth; Brangwen could take his full strength, or at least fairly close to his full strength, and she wasn't his consort. And she didn't complain as he pounded into her, not going all out, but not being careful the way he loved to be with Sephiroth, or the way he had to be with Tseng. She was almost _encouraging_ him to move faster, thrust harder, and he was relieved when he climaxed, pulling out of her as soon as he'd softened a bit.

"Are you alright?" Because she'd made a small sound as he withdrew, and he wasn't sure if it was pain, or something else.

"Yes. You didn't hurt me if that's what you're worrying about. Go back to Sephiroth, he'll make you feel better and I've got Elena to amuse me for a couple of hours while I stay like this to give the best chance of conception." Cloud blinked, wondering where she'd learned _that_, but he nodded and left her as Elena climbed up onto the bed with her.

Note: I've written a one-shot set in this universe with completely original characters, Rowan's family, and I'm not sure if I should put it up here, or just at my livejournal. I'd appreciate knowing what my readers here think about that. (Repeated since I didn't get a response last time. I _will _be repeating this note until I get an opinion on the question.)


	13. Chapter 10

Elena wasn't really watching where she was going as well as she should have been. Instead she was thinking about where to hide, and trying to make the most of the ten minute lead Brangwen had promised her, so she was startled when she realised she'd run into someone as she bounced off his chest.

"Hey now, where are you going in such a hurry?" She glanced up at Zack when she heard his voice, and felt his strong hands catch her by her arms, grateful that it was _him_ and not someone she could have hurt, or someone who'd punish her for her carelessness.

"Nowhere in particular. It's just...Brangwen likes hunting me down before we..." She hesitated, lowering her eyes in respect and deference, uncertain if she had the right to call it 'making love' but unwilling to use a term as crude as 'fucking' to Zack, even though as a bodyguard he'd have heard it often enough from the men who trained him. She just got the impression that for Zack sex was never just fucking, not if he could avoid it, although she suspected she saw him that way because he _was_ a consort, and her training had emphasised that the consort was always the one a Cetra loved most, and who returned that love best.

"Ah, I see. A sex game, even if it is kinda odd. You don't mind this game do you?"

"What?" She was so startled that she looked directly at him, almost staring. "No, why would I?"

"Ah, just you seemed to be putting a lot into getting away, and getting a chance to hide..."

"Well...she lets me take charge if I manage to knock her down, or get a piece of clothing off her." It was safe enough to admit that to Zack, she was pretty sure that _Aeris_ let him take charge a lot of the time in bed, and she knew that Cloud expected _Tseng_ to take control with him.

"Sounds like you have fun with her then. I'm glad. Now, why don't you try one of the gardens? There's one just a couple of minutes away. Just keep on going the way you were before, take the third door on the right, and then through the second door on the left and down the stairs to the garden. There's some really mature trees there and some bushes you could hide in."

"Thanks Zack." Elena nodded and followed his advice, but this time she didn't run, settling for a swift walk as she kept an eye out for the doors he'd mentioned. The garden was smaller than she'd expected, and looking up she could see that at least two of the trees had branches thick enough to climb on close to windows. She filed that away for future consideration, but for now her primary concern was the bushes that would work _very_ well to hide in, as well as the tree near them.

Elena didn't really understand _how_ Brangwen tracked her down every time, and she had a feeling that the two times she'd actually 'won' this game had been simply because Brangwen had _allowed_ her to win, but she was sure that the Cetra would only permit that if she'd made a good enough effort. And Brangwen had just learned that she _hadn't_ conceived during that last...service session with Cloud, she would need Elena to take care of her, Elena had known that when Brangwen had decided on the one game it was possible for Elena to 'win', because it was obvious she couldn't handle being reminded of her couplings with Cloud, or the way Elena helped her afterwards. So, she needed to set a trap for Brangwen, one that she could reasonably tell herself she'd fallen into to encourage Elena's improved foresight, and skill at hiding.

So...there was a tree near the bushes that would be very difficult to climb, but that would put her in the perfect position to jump down onto Brangwen when she came looking for Elena. And there was a tree just _behind_ the bushes that she thought she could climb without leaving evidence behind her, and from there she could probably...

She nodded decisively and began working her way into the bushes, trying not to get scratched, but letting some of her hair get caught on a twig. Once she was through the bushes she decided to try climbing the tree from the other side, and she was relieved to find it was actually an easier climb that way. She checked the door she'd entered the garden through anxiously, and then moved carefully from the tree she'd climbed to the tree she'd selected as an ambush point, thankful for the relative abundance of foliage it possessed as she froze into position, ready to jump down onto Brangwen when she came looking for her.

Brangwen didn't even look up once when she came into the garden, and Elena told herself that was another sign that she actually _wanted_ Elena to take charge, not a sign that she'd be that careless when guarding Cloud. She focused on the trail Elena had left through the bushes at once, but she still moved cautiously towards them, and Elena had counted on that.

When Brangwen paused in front of the bushes, lifting the hair Elena had left behind to her nose and sniffing it carefully she took her chance and jumped down onto Brangwen, knocking her to the floor, and doing her best to knock her hands apart. Even so, Brangwen reacted without thinking, and rolled them over into the bushes, pinning Elena down until she realised who she was, and jumped off her.

"I'm sorry, I reacted as if you were an enemy there for a moment." She reached down to help Elena up, and Elena accepted it with a smile.

"It's alright, I mean at least this time I know I won fairly, didn't I?" The rules didn't say anything about Elena having to keep Brangwen pinned down after getting her to the ground, and Brangwen returned Elena's smile.

"Yes, you certainly did win fairly, so, how do you want to enjoy your prize?" She held her hands out, wrists pressed together as if she was offering them to be bound...

"Do you want me to tie you up? I won't, not unless you _ask_ me to, but if you ask..." She trailed off and smiled at Brangwen, taking hold of one hand. "If you don't ask when we get to my bedroom then I won't offer again. Come with me?"

"Yes." Brangwen relaxed as she spoke, allowing Elena to lead the way, a smile on her lips. "And I think I'm asking, just as long as it's something minor."

"We'll talk about it more when we get there." But first she kissed Brangwen full on the lips, sliding her tongue into her mouth almost delicately in a promise of what was to come.


	14. Interlude IV

When they got to Elena's room Brangwen just stood, waiting for the concubine to tell her what to do. She wasn't sure what had prompted her to tease Elena like that, or what Elena was going to do with her after she'd asked to be tied up for sex, but she fully intended to play the submissive role to the hilt.

"Do you need to empty your cup before we start playing?" Brangwen blinked at the question, wanting to lean into the gentle caress of Elena's hand on her cheek and neck, but resisting the impulse as she considered her words.

"I don't think I _need_ to empty it yet, no, but it might be a good idea." Because Elena's words implied she intended to take a _long_ time over whatever she was going to do, so it would be better to make sure there was no chance of her cup filling during their games.

"Go do that then, and come back naked." She opened her mouth to reply, and Elena's hand moved, pressing a finger to her lips in the traditional sign for silence. "Ah, no. I don't want you to say a word unless it's in response to a direct question, or I explicitly give permission. Am I making myself clear?"

"Yes Elena, very clear." Brangwen walked through to the toilet when Elena removed her hands and stripped quickly before reaching down and pulling the plastic mooncup out from inside her. This was a lot more convenient than the other ways she'd seen women take care of their monthly flow, but she sometimes wished that the healer caste were more willing to accept those other ways human women had to prevent the need for periods. But the healer caste would only prescribe those if you could prove you had problems, severe problems, with your period, and Brangwen didn't think she'd be able to find a human doctor to give her that sort of prescription. Not that it mattered at the moment, since she was _trying_ to get pregnant, but...

She shook her head, dismissing that line of thought, then washed her cupout quickly at the sink, and cleaned between her legs before she went back to where Elena was waiting for her.

The assessing look Elena gave her wasn't entirely comforting, but there was enough desire there to tell Brangwen that she wasn't going to be found wanting, the way she always felt that _Cloud_ found her wanting.

"Fold your hands at the back of your neck, and keep them there until I tell you otherwise." Brangwen obeyed, interlacing her fingers behind her neck and resting her thumbs against her shoulders while Elena moved forward, reaching up to kiss her lightly and then stepping back just far enough to slip her hand between their bodies and rest it on Brangwen's groin.

"You know this makes oral sex less satisfying. Perhaps I should shave you here. Or...no, I'll leave that for next time, if you decide you want to play like this again." Brangwen was beginning to think that perhaps she wouldn't, at least not if Elena stayed this distant throughout, but she wasn't going to back down now. "If you decide I'm pushing too far, or you don't want to play anymore then just tell me to stop. But I'd rather not cut the ropes I'm going to use, so I'd appreciate it if you let me untie you if that happens instead of struggling. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, I can." It sounded simple enough and Brangwen _wanted_ to let Elena make all the decisions this once, to let her stop thinking about how she'd failed to get pregnant _again_.

"Good." Elena seemed to hesitate, looking uncertain before she continued speaking. "I was taught that you're supposed to talk about this sort of thing before you do it, so I'll tell you what I'm willing to do, and then I'll ask if you have any problems with it. I'm willing to bind you, but only in limited ways, such as binding your wrists together, or using rope wraps, and I'm willing to tell you what to do during this game. If you ever decide you want more than that then you'll have to ask me for it, explicitly. But do you have any objections to what I'm offering you?"

"No, that sounds good." Brangwen wasn't quite sure what rope wraps were, but they didn't sound bad, and it didn't sound as if Elena thought they were really restrictive. Elena kissed her again, then pulled away, kneeling to get some long dark red ropes about half as thick as her finger from a chest.

"Spread your legs a little wider." The command was absent, Elena far more concerned with sorting out the ropes into the form she wanted them, and Brangwen obediently shifted her stance, standing with her feet about her shoulder-width apart, certain that Elena wanted her balanced properly. From her smile as she glided forward Elena appreciated that and Brangwen stayed still as Elena wrapped the doubled rope around her waist, threading the ends through the loop just above her navel. She didn't jump when Elena dropped a small object on the floor, or even make any effort to try and see what it was, and something in the way Elena relaxed at that told her she'd passed some sort of test.

Elena walked around Brangwen as she made the second wrap around her waist, instead of reaching around her with her arms and passing the rope from one hand to another the way she had for the first wrap, and Brangwen traced Elena's movements by the warmth of her hands as they passed close to her skin without ever touching while Elena focused on what she was doing. Once she was in front of Brangwen Elena pulled the rope through the loop she'd created in starting the second wrap and knelt in front of her, sliding two fingers under the point where the rope met as she adjusted the weave there. She held a loop of rope back as she passed the rest of it up underneath the wrap, and then knotted the rope through the loop, pausing as if to check for something before pulling it tight and again as she maintained tension on the rope in her hands.

"Close your eyes for me now." This was the point where Brangwen was _really_ trusting Elena, and she seemed sensitive to that, waiting patiently on her knees for Brangwen to obey, and she looked so harmless like that, how could Brangwen not trust her? "Thank you."

Brangwen could feel the rope around her waist moving ever so slightly as Elena did something with the free ends, and then Elena began lightly tracing patterns on the inside of one thigh with her fingernails, sending a shiver through her body as the other hand stroked between her inner folds, teasing her into a fuller arousal. She pressed her fingers up, and _into_ Brangwen, applying pressure in just the right place to make her shiver and moan and Elena made a sound of regret as she pulled her fingers away, matched by Brangwen's own small whine at the loss.

"I don't have anything suitable to replace those, but we can keep that in mind for the future." Brangwen could take Elena shopping for that on her next leave day if the woman was willing and she offered an approving hum as Elena kissed her stomach below the rope and then pressed it between her legs. It fell slack as Elena stood and walked around behind her, but Brangwen could tell from the way it brushed against the outside of her leg that Elena still had hold of the end and she shivered as Elena kissed her shoulder, just below her thumb. Then Elena tied the loose end of the rope to the wrap around her waist, adjusting it so the knot rested just to one side of her spine, and fastening a crescent shaped object with the warmth of polished wood into the knot somehow.

Elena pressed up against her back, kissing her shoulder again, and reaching around Brangwen's body to gently stroke her breasts, reminding her of how sensitive they were at the moment and surprising a soft moan out of her. "These would look good with another wrap. But perhaps you are too sensitive for that at the moment. What say you?"

"Ah, please, no. Not today." She could feel every knot between her legs stimulating her in a way she hadn't expected it to, and she didn't want that with her breasts.

"Then bring your hands down to your sides, and let me bind them." She obeyed, allowing Elena to guide her hands to the small of her back, but she couldn't help a momentary tension when Elena fastened the rope around her first wrist. "Hush." Elena stroked her arm swiftly and firmly, placing a loose end of the rope against her palm and wrapping her fingers around it. "Here, if you feel the need to then you can free your hand by pulling on this." And she made a point of giving Brangwen the same leeway with the other hand as well, shaming her just a bit before Elena walked around to stand in front of her and inspect her appearance.

"Didn't realise how _good_ you'd look like that. Walk around for a bit while I go and get some things." Brangwen obeyed, pacing back and forth, feeling the knots between her legs tease her as she moved, and surprised by _just_ how arousing they were. She had to wonder if a wrap around her breasts would have felt as good, and she was determined to try that next time, if Elena was still willing. When Elena returned she was carrying towels, soap and a scrubbing brush, and Brangwen wondered why Elena hadn't just told her to get those when she emptied her cup. But she stayed silent, and kept on pacing while Elena laid the larger towel on the floor, unfolding it until it was just folded in quarters, making a rectangle about as long as Brangwen's leg and as wide as her arm.

"Kneel down on the towel." Brangwen obeyed the command, kneeling in the centre of the towel, and hoping that was what Elena wanted. "Good. Now, is this comfortable for you?" And Brangwen shivered as Elena trailed her fingers carefully along the edge of the rope wrapped around her waist.

"Yes. It...feels really good."

"I'm glad." And Elena kissed the back of Brangwen's neck, licking up to just behind her left ear and tugging lightly on her earlobe with her teeth. "Shut your eyes, and think about what I might do to you while I go take a shower." Elena was _leaving_ her here? Like _this_? Brangwen wasn't sure what to think about that, except she could feel her nipples ache as she obeyed, and it wasn't as if anyone was likely to come in here except Elena. She could hear Elena moving around the room, and she heard it when Elena opened a chest again, and shut it afterwards, but she wasn't sure exactly what Elena was doing and the temptation to peek was almost overwhelming. But she wasn't going to show herself that weak willed, and as a distraction she shifted just enough to give her a little friction, focusing on the effects she could get from the rope between her legs and imagining how Elena might use that.

"Good. You just keep on playing like that while I'm busy." Brangwen froze in shock when she realised that she'd let herself get so wrapped up in her fantasies that she hadn't noticed Elena coming up behind her until the concubine stroked the side of her neck, but she obediently continued, generating a constant low level arousal, without ever coming close to climax.

"You can open your eyes now. I can see you've been having fun." Elena put the bucket down beside her as Brangwen obeyed, and knelt in front of her, somehow keeping it from looking even remotely submissive, her hair still wet from the shower, and her skin still damp enough that her dark red silk slip and dressing gown were sticking to it. She leaned forward and kissed Brangwen, her fingers sliding down Brangwen's body, between her legs, and around the crotch rope to push _into_ her, pressing in _just_ the right place. "Come for me Brangwen." And Elena put her other hand at the back of Brangwen's neck as she kissed her again, hungrily, without letting up until Brangwen cried out her climax into Elena's mouth.

Elena deliberately washed her hands in the bucket of water she'd brought in with her, using the soap she'd brought with her before and using the scrubbing brush to clean her nails, then she worked up a lather with the scrubbing brush on the soap and began using it to wash Brangwen, starting at the back of her neck. The water was cool; Brangwen found herself grateful for that as Elena used the simple act of washing her, almost the way she'd wash a dog or some other pet, to push her arousal further, higher. She climaxed again as Elena cleaned between her legs, somehow managing to wield the scrubbing brush to deliver a caress on her most sensitive parts and once Elena put the brush aside she picked up the smaller towel, a hand towel really, and used it to dry Brangwen _most_ thoroughly, pushing her to the edge of her third climax, but not _quite_ there.

Elena ran her nails gently along Brangwen's leg, starting at the outside of her left ankle, crossing to the top of her left thigh, hand brushing against the right thigh as she neared the groin, then skipped it altogether to run her nails up Brangwen's belly, and circle her left breast with a spiral that ended at her nipple as she climaxed.

"My turn now I think." And she opened her robe, letting her slip rise up by itself as she spread her knees with the utmost confidence, and pushed Brangwen's face into her groin, slowly, sensually, robbing Brangwen of the will to resist.


	15. Chapter 11

This was new. Elena's first thought when she felt Tseng's cock pressed hard against her hip as she awoke was oddly...complacent considering that it was a situation she'd never been in before. But then, her training _had_ covered the possibility, no rather the probability, that if she spent the night in the same bed as a man she'd wake up with his erection pressed against her somewhere. And she _liked_ Tseng, partly because he was so clearly careful with her, considering that all the other times he'd ordered her to sleep in the same bed as him he'd been sure to wake up first and keep her from feeling this. He was attractive as well, and a good friend, even if he wasn't someone she could love the way she'd loved Scarlet for a while, or the way she was coming to love Brangwen.

She twisted around in his arms, so that his cock was pressed against her belly instead of her hip and bit her lip, trying to decide if he needed his sleep badly enough that she should ignore this chance, probably her only chance, to discuss the desire she'd seen in his eyes sometimes when he looked at her. No, he hadn't seemed that tired or stressed when he'd told her where she'd be sleeping tonight, she must have woken early for some reason rather than him sleeping late. So, she kissed him, enjoying the feel of his lips under hers, and the way his mouth opened for her almost automatically, a reaction she took advantage of to plunder his mouth ruthlessly.

Then his eyes snapped open, and he pushed her away, a hint of panic in his voice when he spoke.

"Elena? What are you doing?"

"Kissing you. I know you want me. Even without _this_." She wrapped her hand around his cock, and stroked it once, lightly, before just gripping it, firmly now. "I am neither blind nor stupid you know. I can _see_ how you look at me when we are preparing to be displayed. Or sometimes when we spar together as part of the lessons you are giving me in knife play I can see the desire in your eyes, see how your pants grow tight at the sight of me. But what I cannot see is why you do not just _take_ me. It is most certainly within your right as Cloud's first concubine." She'd have understood it if he had just taken her, she might not have entirely liked it, but she would have accepted it, just as she'd accepted it when Scarlet had decided that sex would be the best cure for Elena's period pains.

"You won't know this, but it took a while before Sephiroth or Cloud touched me after I was given to him, and before he allowed Sephiroth to take me Cloud made sure that I found them both appealing and was willing to have sex with them. I _know_ how little choice slaves of any type have when it comes to sex, and asking for sex with someone who doesn't really have the option of saying no is very much like rape." As he spoke Tseng reached down between their bodies, trying to remove Elena's hand from his cock. She was tempted to hold on, to show him how willing she was, but...that would have been too much like coercion for her tastes. But she refused to give up all contact with him, so she held onto his hand instead, and didn't let go of that as she raised it to her lips.

"Well, _I_ want you. At least I do at the moment." She didn't think she'd want him _often_, and she suspected that wanting him now was more a matter of his clear availability and desire than of any specific desire for _him_ on her side, but that didn't change her current wish. "So, if we have sex now it won't be rape, not if _you_ consent." She could see that he was weakening, and she ran her tongue over his knuckles swiftly, enjoying the way he reacted with a shiver.

"Brangwen has not forbidden it then?"

"What? No!" Elena found that idea shocking, and she wondered why Tseng might think Brangwen would interfere like that, as well as being insulted that he could think she'd disobey if she _had_. Unless..."Has Cloud or Sephiroth forbidden _you_ to bed me?"

"No." He seemed embarrassed by what he was saying, but he spoke anyway. "In fact, one of the arguments I used in support of keeping you was that you'd be companionship for me. But I know I belonged to some bad masters before Aeris bought me for Cloud. Will you have any problems being with me?"

She hadn't thought of that and Elena considered the question seriously. She knew for certain that she _hated_ being bound during sex, and she didn't understand why Brangwen liked it on rare occasions. And Laton's tendency to be rough during sex had reminded her far too much of Daris, even though she _knew_ the warrior caste only hurt her because he forgot how fragile she was compared to him.

"I...you need to be careful with me, or better still, gentle. I'm sorry, but I can't handle roughness during sex." Not from a man anyway, she hadn't had any problems when Brangwen got a bit rough while they made love. Tseng seemed to understand that, and he lay back with a smile.

"Then you can be in charge this time if that is what will make you feel safe. I won't mind. Do whatever you want with me."

"Thank you." It was a gift she hadn't expected; she'd thought he would be hungry to dominate her, even though Cloud permitted Tseng to be in control with him. But...she thought it would be best if she cleared her plans with him first, at least in outline. "I've never had the chance to explore a man's body properly, to take my time over it. Will you grant me this opportunity?"

"Gladly. I take it you'd like to hear my reactions?"

"If you would." She was confident of her ability to avoid harming him, but not that she could judge his pleasure if he tried to stay silent. A kiss first, slow, enjoying the way he opened to her, and teasing a moan from his throat eventually. That was enough to tell her that she'd succeeded and she pulled back slowly, licking along his lower lip as her mouth left his and moving down to his throat. Feather light kisses here, certainly no hint of teeth, but she explored his Adam's apple as fully as possible, intrigued by the difference in shape from her own throat and the throats of the women she'd been with. But she could tell that this wasn't as enjoyable for Tseng as it was for her, and so she moved down, even though she wasn't satisfied with her explorations, vowing to return to Tseng's throat if she could.

She settled for exploring Tseng's torso with her hands, finding the feel of his muscles almost alien and not quite sure why. Was it the shape of them, which was subtly different to the shape of female muscles, or the hint of...softness perhaps? No, not that last, Scarlet had possessed the same softness to her muscles, and more, as Elena did herself. Perhaps it was the absence of breasts, and the slight difference in the ribcage that made his body seem so strange to hers, but it didn't matter, except to make the exploration more intriguing. And she had more time to spend here, since Tseng was making small sounds of pleasure, so she continued the explorations of her hands while leaning forward to lick carefully at one of those large, dark, flat nipples.

Tseng's hand came to rest on the back of her head at that, and she realised that she hadn't kept track of where his hands _were_, but it hardly mattered so long as he remained gentle with her.

"Harder, please. And, use your teeth a little." She lifted her head at that, and Tseng let her, still resting his hand on the back of her head as she took the opportunity to study his face. She knew that it could feel good to have teeth teasing at her nipples, but...it wasn't something she expected to hear and she wanted to make sure she didn't push too hard or far.

"Then please, if I miss any signs of distress or displeasure pull on my hair a little." Not that there was much to pull on; she'd been relieved to learn that _Brangwen_ didn't share Cloud's taste for long hair, preferring something shorter for her lovers.

"I will, and thank you." From the smile she was probably just telling him to do something he'd do anyway, but Elena felt better for making the offer herself and she set to tasting Tseng's nipples properly, taking them between her teeth one at a time to tease up into hard little nubs. Meanwhile one hand kept exploring Tseng's muscles, tracing the muscles of the arm he still held by his side and the other slid down to cradle his balls and stroke his cock, keeping him hard with arousal while she played. Finally she felt a slight tug on her hair and looked up at Tseng, surprised since she had not thought him in pain yet, seeing only amusement and pleasure in his eyes.

"I am sorry, but if you play for much longer I will doubtless disappoint you." Disappoint her? Elena only then realised just how slick with pre-come Tseng's cock felt in her hand, and from the heat in her cheeks she knew she was blushing. What now? She didn't think she was ready to feel him inside her, but she had initiated this, and so...

"Have you experience with women?" He might have only belonged to male Cetra as he did now, and if that was so she wouldn't...

"Oh yes, I do."

"Then you will understand when I tell you I am not yet readied for intercourse? I thought instead I could try your tongue, while I renewed my skills with _this_." A slight tightening of her grip and a quick flick of her tongue over her lips should be enough to show Tseng what she meant, and he smiled in approval.

"Yes, that will be most satisfactory, although should we do this again you might wish to pay more attention to your own pleasure, and less to your curiosity." Elena nodded in acknowledgement of the rebuke, and shifted to give Tseng access to her groin as she took the head of his cock into her mouth. She kept one hand wrapped around it and rested her other arm across his thighs to keep him from thrusting too deeply as she took more of him into her mouth.

When he climaxed she swallowed, and pulled back so that she wouldn't hurt him through over stimulation, and she pulled away from him, ignoring the ache growing in her loins, knowing it would ease soon enough. She'd resigned herself to not climaxing when she realised how...poorly she'd used the freedom Tseng had offered her to explore his body, and this had never been about satisfaction for her, it had been a way of finding out if she could find it comfortable to be with a man sexually. Especially since Cloud had yet to summon her to his bed.

"Elena? I don't think you climaxed. Don't you want me to take care of your needs?"

"It isn't always about climax. I...you gave me what I needed, and you don't need to offer more. Next time, if there is a next time, you can make sure I get my pleasure first if you wish."

"Yes...as long as you remember that I will not be offended if you wish to refuse me."

"I will remember." And with that promise given Tseng left her alone in the bed as he went to wash.


	16. Chapter 12

"Brangwen? How can I help you?" It was unusual for Brangwen to actually _send_ for Elena, she generally came looking for Elena herself, that or Elena went to see her either because it had been planned in advance, or because she thought Brangwen might want her. But maybe it was because Brangwen was finally starting to show now that she was in her fifth month of pregnancy. That would explain why she was still lying on her bed instead of standing to greet Elena the way she always had before.

"I could use a massage, and I need to talk to you as well." Elena wasn't sure why Brangwen would need to talk to _her_ about anything; the only thing she really shared with her was their sex life, but she moved forward, pleased to see that there was already a bowl of massage oil on the side table.

"Would you like me naked for this massage?" She put a teasing note in her voice, aware of how often her giving Brangwen a massage tended to turn into sex, and happy to enjoy it.

"Ah, no, you better stay dressed. It'll make me less tempted to cut our talk short. But...I don't think I can talk about this if I'm looking at you." That was...flattering in a way, that she could distract Brangwen so easily, but it made Elena nervous too, wondering just what she had to talk about. Still, her nerves didn't matter, and at least her pyjamas would be comfortable while she took care of Brangwen.

"Roll onto your side then." By now she knew when she could give Brangwen orders and when she had to make sure they were clearly _requests_. This time Brangwen obeyed her, obviously relieved to have something simple to do, and Elena came to lie behind her, picking up the massage oil and starting work on her back. She didn't expect Brangwen to speak at once, so it wasn't a surprise that she had to work on her back in silence for a few minutes before her lover began to talk.

"Tomorrow I will be visiting the slave trading hall with Sephiroth, to pick out a new concubine that Cloud can 'share' with me." Elena knew why Brangwen was telling her this; she was being given warning that she was to be replaced, and Brangwen had enough honour to feel the warning her due, as well as the kindness to understand that it might hurt Elena to know that she was being replaced. Still, that didn't seem to be _all_ Brangwen had to say, so Elena made an encouraging noise as she dug her fingers into a particularly tough knot. "I want you to come with me, to assess the concubines we consider and tell me if _you_ can live with them as well."

She hadn't expected that, but Elena concealed her surprise and kept on working on that difficult knot in Brangwen's muscles, using it as a way to avoid answering while she gathered her thoughts.

"I don't understand. Why would that matter?" She might as well let Brangwen know she was confused about this, since she didn't have any reason to think that Brangwen was being intentionally cruel in asking Elena to help select the woman who'd replace her.

"Sephiroth doesn't know you well enough to tell if you'd get on with people, not the way he knows Tseng. I won't select anyone you don't like." Elena didn't know what to say to that, and Brangwen seemed to sense her discomfort, pulled away and rolling over onto her back. "Elena, I can't have a consort, and even if I could I don't love you the way Cloud loves Sephiroth, but I _do_ love you. I don't want to hurt you, or make you feel uncomfortable if I can help it." She reached up and drew Elena down for a kiss, and Elena let herself relax, finally understanding that Brangwen didn't see this potential new concubine as any sort of replacement for her.

"What happens if you don't find anyone you like?" Elena was fairly certain that her opinion would be the least important factor in the decision, and Sephiroth's would be the most important, but she didn't need to say that aloud.

"Cloud wants me to make at least five visits to the slave trading hall before I decide I won't find anyone. He wants me to make an effort to find someone for when I give birth but if I don't find anyone it is acceptable for him to formally announce that he's sharing you with me. I...that is if you want that?" There were implications in Brangwen's words that Elena wasn't quite catching, although she did understand that Brangwen would put far more effort into her search to replace Elena if she said no she wasn't quite sure why Brangwen was acting as if this was some sort of life changing decision.

"I'm sorry, I can tell you want me to make a significant decision here, but I don't understand in what _way_ it is significant."

"If Cloud formally shares you with me then no matter what your contract say you'll stay with me until one of us dies. I...would like that, but...I won't force it on you." Elena could see that her reaction had made Brangwen feel insecure, and she kissed Brangwen, enjoying the way her lover allowed her to dominate for a moment before pulling back.

"I love you as well, and I would have no problems spending the rest of my life with you." She loved the slow smile that spread over Brangwen's face on hearing that, but it was cut short by a brief grimace, probably from her back cramping again. "Now roll back over so that I can start work on your back again."

"Yes my lady." There was a hint of laughter in Brangwen's voice as she obeyed, and Elena set to work again, brushing Brangwen's hair aside to kiss the nape of her neck, and wondering what it meant that Brangwen's hair was long enough to _cover_ the nape of her neck. "Ah, don't do that. There's something else I need to discuss with you now that I know you'll stay with me."

"And you need to think without my distracting you, I understand. But first, can you tell me why you've let your hair grow out over the past year?"

"Because I haven't been allowed on active duty. I'm not good enough to boast with long hair the way Morvoren is, or the way Sephiroth would be if he was one of us."

Morvoren...Elena had to think for a moment before she worked out who Brangwen was talking about. "She's the one who conceived a month and a half before you, isn't she?"

"Yes. She started trying for a child with Angeal after Cloud took me as his spouse, to give me someone to share what it's like to be pregnant with, and to give my child a companion to grow up with. She's a good friend, but I will be obliged to carry another child somewhere between two and three years after I give birth to this one, at the longest." Elena was privately surprised Cloud was willing to give her so _long_ between children, but she didn't want to interrupt, humming softly as she worked on Brangwen's back.

"I can't ask Morvoren to carry another child so soon, and I don't think she'll offer unless she's lucky with this one, and possibly not even then. But...you don't have to fight, or maintain the same sort of condition we have to maintain. So, I want you to think about the possibility of having a child as a companion for my next child."

A companion for her next child? Elena wanted any children she had to be born free, but she didn't think she was really up to caring for them now, if she ever would be. Of course that was actually a point in favour of her having children now, as Cloud's concubine she knew he'd make sure her children were raised with every possible advantage. Still...

"Who would be the father?"

"It would be your choice, although your options would be limited to Cloud, Sephiroth or Tseng. If you chose Cloud there _would_ be a chance that your child would end up his heir, if he or she was most suited for it." Elena didn't understand that, and wasn't entirely sure she wanted to, but there was only one possible answer.

"Yes, yes I'll think about it."

"Thank you."


	17. Epilogue

Lucy could hear the chocobos outside, almost certainly Elena and the Cetra she'd said would be coming with her. She'd been shocked at how easy it had been to get the day off for Elena's visit, all she'd had to do was mention who would be coming with her, and that had bothered her a bit. Lucy didn't think that it would help Hayll Security at all, they just didn't work in any circles where the Planet's Weapon or his household, but she could see why her boss wouldn't want to make things difficult for them.

"I'll get the door Lucy!" She had to laugh and agree to let Wilhelmina get the door, her little sister had been so excited at the prospect of seeing Elena again that it wasn't really a surprise she jumped up on hearing the doorbell.

"Go on then." But Lucy still followed her, a bit more slowly as she wondered just how much Elena had changed in the years since she'd last seen her. She'd grown a bit, although Wilhelmina was just as tall as Elena, and her hair was as short as ever, but cut differently, and looking better than Lucy'd imagined, even though intellectually she'd known Elena had to look beautiful now.

"Hello Lucy." Elena smiled at her as she pushed away from Wilhelmina's embrace and held out her hands palms up, switching to holding her arms open for an embrace when she realised Lucy wasn't sure how to respond. "I'm sorry." Elena whispered in Lucy's ear as she hugged her. "Cloud's household use those old courtesies a lot, and I forget that they're _Cetra_ traditions, not human, and certainly not suitable for greeting my family."

"It's alright, I understand." Lucy wasn't sure she _did_ understand why Elena had automatically expected Cetra courtesies, but she thought it was a good sign of how well she'd been treated by her new owners, and she understood that Elena must feel a bit distant from her and Wilhelmina.

"Lucy, Wilhelmina, this is Brangwen, Cloud's spouse." The tall, muscular woman turned away from the man still mounted on a blue chocobo and nodded to Elena, then smiled at Lucy and Wilhelmina, without saying anything. "Mina, would you mind showing Ronan how to get to the back courtyard?"

"But..."

"Mina, you'll have time to enjoy being with Elena once Ronan's made sure their mounts are taken care of. Brangwen, can I help with your things?" Brangwen and Elena were both carrying satchels, but Brangwen's was larger, and she had a baby to take care of, presumably the daughter Elena had mentioned in her letters.

"Thank you, but no. I'd appreciate it if you'd direct me to your bathroom so I can take care of Irien though."

"Of course. Just go up the stairs and it's the first room on the left." Elena boosted Wilhelmina up into the saddle of the white chocobo as Lucy was explaining that, and she stepped aside to let Brangwen move past her before following her into the house with Elena.

"Are you sure Mina will be safe?" Lucy could barely keep from falling off a chocobo when she had to use one, she much preferred the motorcycles Dirk had trained her to use first.

"Oh yes, Ghost's my personal mount, and I specifically asked for something docile when Tseng wanted to know if I had any preferences. I do know how to ride, and I'm not that bad, but I'm nowhere near the same level as the rest of Cloud's inner household and I wouldn't know what to do with a blue or a green as my personal mount, much less anything better."

"They're treating you right then?" Lucy let Elena sit down first, then sat next to her on the larger sofa. "I mean, you said that they weren't going to let you go in your last letter. Tobias _promised_ it would only be until you were thirty."

"I don't think he did promise. And yes, I'm perfectly happy to be Brangwen's. I _love_ her. I mean, it's not mad passionate love or anything, but it is love, real love, and I think she loves me too. I...there's two, no three, ways a concubine can end up belonging to one person permanently. Brangwen could have let Cloud buy a new concubine to 'share' with her when she gave birth to Irien, and she offered to do that, so that I'd be more or less free to leave her when I wanted to go. But I wanted to stay with her, so Cloud made a point of formally announcing that he was 'sharing' me with her. Lucy, no one hurts me with Cloud, on the rare occasion I'm interested in being with a man Tseng's usually willing, and he's careful with me in a way I can't believe any free man would be." Lucy _really_ didn't like the implications behind that, but...it looked as if her little sister had healed from whatever the men who'd brutalised her had done. "Lucy, please don't hate Brangwen, I don't want to lose you over this, but..."

"But you'd choose her over me. I get it and I won't make you choose." If anything this proved that Elena really did love this Brangwen, and Lucy had to admit that she was a handsome woman, but not beautiful in a way that would keep Elena from thinking straight. "Will we be able to see you again then?"

"Of course. I'll be allowed to visit you provided it's arranged in advance, and one of Cloud's guards is available to accompany me. I...don't know if you'll be allowed to visit or not..."

"I don't think that would be very practical, not at the moment, but perhaps in the future."

"Maybe." Elena stood up then, walking over to the window, and looking out over the street. "I think we've covered everything you'd want privacy for."

"Yes, we have. But you'll need to tell Mina that she won't have to wait another seven years to see you again."

"I will, but, do you need any help, financially I mean?"

"No! No, we don't. I earn more than enough money for the two of us to live well on, and you made sure we'd have enough to cover Mina's college and university fees. I save as well, and I don't want you to have to sacrifice anything else for us. You've done enough already, more than enough."

"But you won't tell me that I shouldn't get you two presents?" There was an odd smile on Elena's lips as she spoke, and she was looking over at the door behind Lucy.

"Presents?" Wilhelmina sounded surprised, and Lucy was grateful for that, to know that her youngest sister hadn't made assumptions, and that Elena would be able to hear that in her voice. "I thought...you're a slave...how can you be able to buy presents for us?"

"She's a very precious and valued slave." That was Brangwen. "Move forward girl, let me into the room, and let Ronan in too so he can convince himself that it's safe for Elena and for Irien. Cloud allows his concubines to go shopping as long as there's someone there to protect them, and even in the more traditional harems it's expected that concubines will get a chance to spend whatever allowance they're given, either by sending servants to shop for them, or by having people come to sell things to them in the harem."

Ronan made a point of pulling Elena away from the window, and she let him, moving to sit on the smaller sofa, where she'd put her satchel and where Brangwen joined her, holding the baby out on her lap rather than in the sling she'd been carrying her in before.

"Actually, I asked Brangwen to help me with your gift Lucy. I'm only just learning how to use a knife, and I have no clue how to judge the quality of one. But I did use that freedom to help me with your gift Mina. You said you'd decided to study law instead of medicine?"

"Yes. I mean I can still help people if I go into law, and I won't be competing with Cetra, not in the same way I would be as a doctor. You know that Cetra aren't allowed to act as legal advocates unless they're uncaste, and..."

"Yes, I know." Elena had pulled two parcels out of her satchel, and she handed the larger one to Wilhelmina. "Here. I suspect that if Rowan had read this she'd be Cloud's spouse instead of Brangwen. And could you pass this to Lucy when you sit down."

"Yes, sure." Wilhelmina obeyed the implied order - and where had Elena picked up the ability to command like that? - and came to sit beside Lucy, handing her the smaller parcel and opening her own parcel eagerly. Lucy decided she's rather see what Wilhelmina had got and put her own present by her side while her sister opened hers.

"Feuds and their Causes Among the High Nobility. Wow! You really think I could do well enough that I might need this one day?"

"If that's something you decide you're interested in. I mean, it's pretty esoteric, and feuds aren't generally conducted in the courtroom, but the sort of offences a Cetra can declare feud over are the only thing short of breach of contract that can break an espousal. I've got another book on manners among the high nobility, but that's for the two of you to share. Lucy, you haven't opened your present."

"I'll do that now. Why do you think we'll need information on the sort of manners Cetra nobility use?"

"Because my child might be one of them." Lucy's hands froze at that bombshell, and she heard Wilhelmina gasp beside her, but she couldn't bring herself to look away from Elena. "I don't know yet whether I'll carry Cloud's child or Tseng's in two or three years when Brangwen has her next child, and even if Cloud does decide to give me his child the odds are three to two against me giving birth to a warrior caste Cetra, but it is a possibility and something you need to prepare for."

"I...right. We'll work on that, won't we Mina?"

"Yes, and it'll help me if I end up working with Cetra in the future. But...who are we going to practice with?"

"With your sister, or with whoever comes with her when she visits you." Irien woke up and began crying quietly, and Brangwen stood up at once, lifting her high against her chest and rocking her as she began to pace. "Concubines are trained to have a perfect understanding of everyday manners among the high nobility, even if they don't learn about the higher classes of insults and _all_ Cetra use some of the same greetings."

"Thank you then. Elena, I...could you tell me what sort of materia these are?" The knife Elena had given her was beautiful, perfectly balanced, not much smaller than a short sword, and it had two slots for materia set in the blade. "And...you're certain this isn't-"

"Costing me too much? No, I paid for your present and Mina's from the money I got by selling the collar and cuffs my first two owners gave me. This is the first thing I've really splashed out on since I signed my indenture." Elena looked unhappy and Lucy forced herself to stop worrying; Elena's owner would take care of her now and Lucy decided that she'd think of it as the sort of really old-fashioned marriage their father's parents had before they died. "Anyway, the materia are unlevelled, you can only use the first spell, but I got you a Restore and a Heal, and you can mature them by having them equipped in a fight. The downside is that having materia equipped takes a toll on your endurance among other things."

"So, I should do my best to use this knife in a fight, if I can, but on a courier mission hang it on my bike, that sort of thing?" Lucy addressed her question to Brangwen, expecting the warrior caste to have a better answer for her than Elena would.

"Yes, that's probably best. Elena?" Her voice turned almost plaintive with that last word, and Elena laughed as she stood up and began untangling Brangwen's hair from Irien's fist. "That's it, I'm getting my hair cut back to a decent length _tomorrow_!"


End file.
